Omnia Vincat Amor
by Darth Bellona
Summary: An unwitting young woman with a mysterious past and strange powers becomes a Jedi in a turbulent time. Serving as a covert operator and assassin for the Jedi Council, she discovers that she may have more ties to the Sith she has been tasked to destroy than she ever thought possible. Darth Maul, OC, AU and cannon characters. Starts post TPM. Please review. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1- Prelude

**_Omnia Vincat Amor_**

_Author's note: These chapters are part of a much longer story (369 pages!) that was started long before Darth Maul's history was revised. I have chosen not to incorporate most of his Dathomirian background because I feel that it does not conform to his previously established character. This story assumes that he did not die in the Theed Palace and begins some years after that incident. I also wanted to create a story for Palpatine, but again this began before much of his history was revealed, so forgive me if I'm not conforming to what's been published in the last couple of years. Basically, my aim was to flesh out my favorite established characters with little background and introduce some new ones. I like to write, so my work tends to be on the long side._

**Chapter 1- Prelude**

_Meet Pernilla Antilles, a young woman living on the resort planet Tallinn. She works in a burlesque club called the Terav Pilk. She's always had powers and feelings she was never able to explain. In this excerpt, Pernilla makes contact with the men who will change her life forever._

**"Master**, do you think this plan of action is the right course? You don't think that we should just approach her later?" Master Ki-Adi Mundi stared out into the vast horizon, beautiful from the heights of the Twilight room. He'd had Padawans before, but not like this. "I don't feel this is the right way, Master. I don't agree with what the Council says about her."

Mundi sighed. "Mekus, this is the _only_ way. I do not believe she will be persuaded otherwise. As for the Council—" He hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much to his young Padawan, Rian Mekus. "She has a dangerous gift that we have come to believe is difficult for her to bear and that places her in grave danger. I am sure you have sensed her power with the Force?"

"Yes Master, of course." That wasn't all he'd felt. Like so many others, Mekus had been struck by the power of her femininity and it was the combination of the two that somehow got him thinking about the Dark Side and forgetting the Jedi Code. He sat and waited, patiently.

Mundi had not asked for this assignment and would not have taken it were it not for the Council. He had no idea as to what Pernilla was capable of, but she had piqued the interests of information brokers and politicians all the way back on Coruscant who were willing to pay dearly to consult her abilities. And of course there was the terrible danger of a Force-assisted telepath, if that was indeed what she appeared to be. Those who were able to read the thoughts of others and who received visions through the Force were rare. Only a few had been identified since the Jedi Order began and from what he had heard, it seemed Pernilla could do more with the Force than just read minds. This was why he was here and why it was imperative for the Jedi Order to absorb Pernilla into their ranks. But first, he had to confirm her abilities and somehow get a midichlorian count from her. The door swooshed open and there she was.

Pernilla recognized the men from the sea of faces she'd seen onstage during her sword dance. She bowed slightly and quickly realized they were the ones she had sensed pushing the Force towards her earlier in the evening. She reached out silently to their minds. Mundi had to work very hard to shield his thoughts from her. Mekus' only thoughts were what he'd do to her alone in the dark, exactly as Mundi had planned. She didn't like how they were shielding themselves from her mind and it disturbed her.

"Good evening gentlemen. My name is Pernilla Antilles and I will be your companion tonight."

"I go by Mundi and my young friend is Mekus," Mundi knew it was futile to lie about their names, especially when he'd need his energy to shield their thoughts. "Mekus took a liking to you back in the club. Make him feel like a man."

Mekus was sitting, facing the view of Tallinn's beautiful oceans. Pernilla came over and sat in his lap looking deep into his eyes. She knew something was out of the ordinary. She knew Mundi was shielding his mind. She began her show, as she always did staring deep into Mekus' eyes, gently performing a set of ancient movements to help her partner relax. He had very nice eyes, bright, hazel, aroused. Her hands timidly moved across his face and she was searching for answers. _Who are you? What do you want with me? Where are you from?_ _Tell me_. Mundi was blocking her probe of Mekus, but she found a strange vision despite his actions. Young Mekus in a big city somewhere in strange robes with a woman dressed the same way engaged in some sort of sexual activity. It was all she could get at. She dug deeper, letting Mekus in on the probe this time. He opened his mind willingly. She found all that he desired, all of his appetites. Her discovery intoxicated him. She leaned next to his face, her lips on his ear.

"Touch me." Pernilla's voice was nearly inaudible.

Mekus was shaking out of arousal and the sheer sensation of intense telepathy. He hugged Pernilla close against his shoulder. She was on autopilot now, letting Mekus play while she reached out to his companion. Mundi was a wall, every time she turned away from Mekus she felt the Force close against her like a wave. He was telling her to stay back. He was suffocating her with the Force. She focused on Mekus and when she looked into his mind again the vision returned.

_In the Jedi Temple Mekus was with a small T'wilek woman, another Padawan. They tore at each other's clothing and were soon having awkward sex somewhere in the Jedi Temple. "Doma et atchi" she moaned. _Don't ever forget me_. Pernilla knew she was dead. The vision passed in a blur like advertisements on the skyway._

Pernilla knew Mundi was waiting for her to fully use her telepathic skills and he wasn't giving her another option. Her heart pounded frantically against her chest and her favorite necklace rose excitedly. She never had sex with her private clients, rightfully knowing that the telepathic vision was the greatest pleasure that she could give them, but this time she was considering having Mekus rather than exposing herself to these Jedi, for that was certainly what they were. She rightfully feared the Jedi, as they were not the only ones who had tried to take her away. She was still recovering from that last terrible attack…

Mekus was a young human and as such would have had fun with Pernilla or anything else vaguely female and humanoid. But as she slid her dress around her waist, Mundi was again crushing her. Telepathy was the only way out. She brought up the T'wilek in her mind. _The Temple. The smell of rough Jedi robes. The sun melting through the columns._ He touched her body as she swayed to distant music coming from the club. She brought the vision to him and then began manipulating the Force so that he would feel what he felt before. She didn't know how she did it, but a long time ago she discovered that it was all that kept her from being sold to the Hutts or into sexual slavery.

_Mekus ran down the Temple's halls with Witla. I will miss you, don't leave me please_. Mekus kept his hands on Pernilla, only he was so sure that it was Witla this time. Pernilla focused her mind and slowed her breathing. _Mekus, touch me all over. Witla kissed him and they fell on the steps and were on top of each other._ Pernilla sent a wave of the Force's energy all over Mekus. His breathing quickened. _On the Temple's steps, Mekus saw a burst of color as his lover sent him over the edge. She grabbed him closer into her._ Mekus whispered her name to Pernilla, not even knowing that she was there, so intense was his pleasure and disassociation. Mekus stayed in that state for several minutes longer than any sort of natural sex would have granted. As he started to come to, Pernilla looked into his eyes.

"_Doma et atchi_" she whispered. She had to block the memory of the T'wilek's death from Mekus. He was astounded, completely immobile, giving Mundi time to plan.

"You have a gift," Mundi said. Pernilla righted and quickly covered herself with her hands. "Please come to me. Lie here on this table. I love the color of your skin."

Pernilla was too scared to disagree. She stretched out on the glassy black table made out of Alderaan granite. She was a beautiful girl really, not yet quite a woman, but her beauty came at a price. Her eternally tanned skin and uncanny ultramarine eyes were the result of exposure to toxic minerals when she was sold to mining baron Tavis Antilles. Pernilla was not really interested in either Mekus or Mundi. She willed the Force to engulf Mundi as she had with Mekus. He pretended to give in to the power, but was all the while slowly willing the Force to sedate her. Her partially nude body was flat on the table and she was scared. The Force was holding her down. Worse yet she was completely vulnerable. Just like before. Her eyes raced back and forward and tears emerged in the corners of her eyes.

"Wha… what… are oo doing t- t- me?" Pernilla heard a voice in her head telling her that she wanted to fall asleep. All lights and sounds faded.

"Master I don't agree with what you are doing! It's not the Jedi way!" Mekus was indignant after his encounter with Pernilla. "Let her be! If you hurt her-!"

"She is by far more useful to us unharmed. What I did was necessary to gauge her knowledge of and skills with the Force. From what I've just seen she is more powerful than any other telepath in recorded Jedi history. She is untrained and can use basic telekinesis. You saw that when she did that sword dance. Her ability to sense emotion and to divulge memories is unheard of and if it wasn't for my strong defenses she would have figured us out!"

Mekus stopped his frantic diatribe. Someone who knew intimately about Witla and who could make him remember her so _vividly_ had to have immense powers. Master Mundi wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't let him.

"What are you going to do with her?" asked Mekus.

"Keep her safe with us," Mundi replied.

**When** the Jedi Council received the full results of Pernilla's midichlorian count the buzz rivaled that of the discovery of Anakin Skywalker. Old prophecies were consulted and books dusted off. She was another Chosen One, the one who would facilitate the next great Force Union, the great unification of Force power that would finally put an end to the threat of the Sith and usher in a new golden age. No one knew who she was or who her parents were or how she ended up on Tallinn, the pleasure and vice capital of the galaxy. She was a mystery. All the Council knew was that, while it would be a danger to have someone like Pernilla serving in their order, it was far more dangerous having her roaming about on her own where her powers could easily be misused by the likes of rebels and terrorists or the power hungry Senate. No one even thought about her appeal to the Sith who had not shown themselves for hundreds of years.

Mundi stood before the Jedi Council, a flickering blue holograph amongst solid beings. "We were unable to ascertain much information about the girl. She is known as Pernilla Antilles. Her employer knew her to be an escaped slave who started making money performing psychic readings. She apparently makes most of her living now during private telepathic encounters… of a _sexual_ nature." As Mundi spoke the words, he knew that there was more to her story, something deeper, darker.

"Strong she is," commented Master Yoda. "In body and spirit. The Force flows through her, but murky it is."

"I do not sense that she has any knowledge of the Dark Side," Master Mace Windu responded, deep in thought. "She is an anomaly and her unprotected existence poses a threat to all Force sensitive creatures… and the population at large. I feel it is our duty to teach her to protect herself at least and to lead her down the Jedi path."

Mundi shifted on his feet. He really wanted to return to Corusant. "If I may be so bold, I would suggest that we somehow convince Pernilla to return with us and begin to train as a Jedi."

"Powerful this girl is," proclaimed Yoda. Scared she is too. A constant threat about her I sense." Yoda spoke and there was a nod of assent. He closed his eyes, searching deeper into the Force. "Ruled by emotions she is. Confused is she. Nurture her we must or consumed by the Dark Side she will be."

Master Windu spoke for the Council and Mundi was relieved to be going. "We will train the girl. See to it that she leaves Talinn as soon as possible. You must protect her. We have reason to believe that there are others out there who are looking for her, too."

**Outside** of the Terav Pilk, Chancellor Palpatine stood in front of a large party. "Gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, welcome to the Terav Pilk! I have arranged dinner for everyone and a special appearance by our favorite performer, Pernilla Antilles!" There was a loud cheer. The suns were close to setting. Sunset on Talinn was always beautiful. Having two orbs slowly melting below the sea elongated the sunset and twilight periods, giving the planet a magical feel. A lone speeder broke through the setting suns. Palpatine saw the movement and walked onto the beach as soon as his party was inside. He made his way to a large outcropping of rocks that sat opposite the jetty in the small bay. A young man jumped off of the speeder and hid it safely amongst the rocks. He was not taller than Palpatine but far more athletically built.

"Good evening, master. I trust I am in the right place at the right time?" There was uncertainty in his eyes. He did not know what was expected of him.

"Yes, yes you are my apprentice. Welcome to Talinn, pleasure capital of the galaxy." Palpatine took a deep breath of the salty air and looked at the setting suns. "There is no more perfect place than here and here is the perfect place for you to indulge your every desire, to whet your every appetite, no matter how depraved. Go my apprentice, and enjoy yourself tonight." His apprentice looked surprised. He was not usually given orders to do whatever he wished. That seemed the antithesis of an order. Palpatine smiled at the black sand beach and the sunset. "I will be at the Terav Pilk for most of the evening. Do stop by and sample their delectable offerings."

The truth was that the apprentice didn't crave the raucous noise and lights of burlesque shows or large crowds at the moment. When his master had left he returned to his speeder to fetch a bottle of Corellian wine and a meal he had bought from a local restaurant. He stretched out on his cloak, ate and watched the famous sunset while glancing through a holobook. He would enjoy the sunset and wait for the night.

**Voices** shouted to be heard at the bar of the Terav Pilk as a musician tapped on a sequence of buttons to produce a pounding techno beat that fueled the dance of the four women onstage. The kitchen was incredibly busy and a delicious scent sprung through the swinging doors as bus boy after bus boy returned for more food and drinks. Onstage the girls paired up and danced formally, each pairs' movements exactly mirrored by the other. It was harder than it looked and after nearly two hours of dancing it was time for a break. They ended the synchronized number with a series of high kicks that ended in flips and received massive applause and hundreds of credit slips, all of which would be shared amongst themselves, the musicians and the stage manager Lepo who had more control over the other women than he had with Pernilla. Lepo met them backstage.

"Glorious, girls, glorious!" Lepo beamed. "We're over 100 people more than the room capacity! We're turning them down!" Indeed, Lepo had opened the outside bar and the place was packed. He had activated monitor droids to so that those outside would not miss the action indoors. "You've all made hundreds of credits!" The women were stretching and downing bottles of water. Lepo opened the back stage door. "Girls take a break. Pernilla, go get changed. They're waiting for you!"

Pernilla walked back to her room. It was quiet in the hall and it was good to be alone. Her friends would make a lot of money tonight. She, however relied on private appointments, away from the party to make her fortune. Once inside her room, she took off her sweaty lingerie and stood in front of her wardrobe considering her options. She had so many dresses. Ones she'd bought herself, others that she'd received as gifts. But only one called out to her. She changed her lingerie, making sure that she was wearing a small black corset that hugged her curves and made the red _saapi_ silk dress from Dantooine look stunning. It had a long train and moody, bilious folds around her hips. She chose a necklace with a large clear and faceted stone. It wasn't costume jewelry—it was a real diamond from the moons of Laxi VII. She swept up her hair, freshened her makeup and returned to the stage.

The crowd was immense. Pernilla sat on a cushion and her long dress rolled about her like a wave. She activated a small electronic instrument, ready for whatever music piqued her fancy. She had spent many long years learning to play and sing as a child in the courtesan's school. Pernilla was well prepared. That's what made her a _hetaera._ (Note: This is the Ancient Greek term for courtesan. These women were trained as male companions in physical and mental pursuits and held high positions in society.) She scanned the minds of those around her and chose to open with a familiar pop song, clearly what everyone wanted to hear. With a flick of her fingers the auto vox began playing and she began singing in Basic, melodious and bright. The applause nearly overwhelmed the amplifying devices that hovered around Pernilla as she sang. She sang several more collective favorites and soon Chancellor Palpatine smiled at her with warmth that his closest friends saw him give to no other. She sensed his attentions and walked over to his table.

"Please sir, what song for our guest of honor?" She bowed slightly before him. She already knew, "_Ke'pa ne doma_," a sad love song from Naboo. Dorme would tease her about it, but Pernilla sung the old language of Naboo flawlessly, acapella. And she was always handsomely rewarded.

"Will the Lady Pernilla please us with a rendition of '_Ke'pa ne doma'_?"

She bowed again. "Yes sir." The amplifying devices hovered back around Pernilla's head. Her voice was soft and smooth, never once missing a syllable or a beat. She poured her soul into that song, rightly sensing that it had some sort of deep connection to the Chancellor. He had a faraway look on his face as she sang and she thought she saw tears building up in his eyes. _Why? Who was it that he had lost?_ For the title of the song meant '_Love Beyond Me_.' When she finished the last fermata there was massive applause. Chancellor Palpatine looked down. _Was he_ _crying?_ He took Pernilla's hand and slipped her a credit chip then left the club. He was a bit more emotional tonight than he had been in the past. None of his entourage followed him out. Pernilla took an endless stream of requests for an endless amount of tips until the other women were ready to come back out for their individual dances.

**Pernilla** was glad to retire for the time being. She liked to start late and dance until the long twilight began. She took off her dress and threw her credit slips on her plush sofa. She sat outside. It was pleasant on the balcony. If it had been another night, she would have gone swimming. Instead, she drank a bottle of fizzyglug and snacked on some native fruit. She thought about Palpatine. She sensed something from him tonight. He was always so calm and collected, always so flat that she was sure that he could use the Force to mask his thoughts. Tonight it had been just a little burst of sadness and a feeling of great attachment and loss, but she felt it nonetheless. Whatever it was, it was nothing compared to the Jedi problem.

Pernilla was ready for her last dances of the night after a restful period of meditation. She took the stage in strappy magenta- pink heels that hugged her strong calves and tied demurely behind her knees in two plump bows. She had picked out an all pink ensemble. It was all very extravagant and made out of the most expensive and exotic silks. _The first thing you must be able to do is stop a man in his tracks with a single glance. You are a queen and you must always dress the part._ Pernilla looked at her pampered feet as she waited for her music to start. _The price of beauty…_ The lights in the club lowered and a random selection of down tempo techno songs began. Suddenly the curtains pulled back and a shower of soft pink petals fell from the rafters.

She had a large audience. Men were willing to stay late to see a real _hetaera_ perform. She started off dancing slowly, performing a series of ancient dances learned years before. She walked down the catwalk, not only repeating the mantras of her youthful training, but also implanting them in the minds of her audience. _I am a book, read my movements, make your own stories with me._ At the right time, and ever so gracefully, Pernilla sat down at the edge of the stage and came close to the face of a diplomat. _Desire my art and beauty._ She brushed a petal off of her cheek. It landed on his sleeve and he was bewitched. The music changed tempos and she artfully removed her robe and performed many more dances and small seductions. _Seduction begins with the mind, the movement, and the appearance. What is not shown is your greatest asset._ Pernilla acted modestly as she had learned, hiding her body with her hands and movements. Revelation would have to be earned. Her audience had grown. She danced slowly and gracefully as she neared the climax of her show. She allowed one of the diplomats sitting close to the stage to untie her corset. With the ribbons loosened, Pernilla raised her arms and the corset fell gracefully around her feet. She moved to cover herself before moving into a set of _teräs käsi _meditation poses between short bouts of rhythmic dancing. She continued to dance slowly and her pert breasts moved like an eclipse, catching the dim lights of the club and the first hints of dawn. _The reward is in the full revelation of your natural beauty. _She brought her arms together and held them, covering them from view. _The unseen is your greatest asset._ No one could see how she was using her mind to communicate desire. The fighting poses accentuated her toned body and made her look older than she really was. She felt beautiful like this.

**Just** as everyone seemed to be leaving, Pernilla noticed someone enter. He was wearing a hooded cloak and sat in an alcove seat to the side of the stage. She felt his presence through the Force, almost as the Jedi had appeared, but he was different. He had no purpose, no motivations or designs on Pernilla. She danced rhythmically towards him curious, moving like a sea snake, hips rising and falling to the steady beat of a bass drum. She sat on her knees, hiding and revealing, looking straight at this strange visitor, her hair falling neatly over her shoulder as she fell into another meditation pose. Her golden skin glowed under the stage lights and petals mixed with glitter fell on her shoulders. He looked back at her. When her eyes adjusted to the stage lights, Pernilla could see that he was a Zabrak probably from Iridonia. Like others from the harsh desert region, he had no body hair and an interesting crown of horns that were sharper than those of other Zabrak. What was more interesting to Pernilla, however were his tattoos. He had a strong face with very smooth skin that was criss-crossed with jagged, tribal looking red and black markings. His sleeves were rolled up to protect a large portion of newly tattooed skin. It was very beautiful. She loved tattoos and had several Bunduki chains of protection tattooed around her upper arms and shoulders in a black ink that reflected the lights of the stage. Her blue eyes moved over his face until she met his stare.

When she looked into his golden eyes, Pernilla had a sudden and violent vision. She'd had flash back visions of various sorts that often reflected past events, but when she was thrust into the future, the visions were disjointed and disruptive. And they never involved her— until now.

_In a spaceport somewhere, she was fighting the man before her with, what were they- lightsabers? There was violence and pain. They had hurt each other. Suddenly they were onboard a small transport. Something had brought them together._ Pernilla felt an extreme romantic push. She inhaled quickly. Somehow she knew that the man before her was experiencing the vision, too. _They were having sex. He was pushing her against a bulkhead and she felt nothing but pleasure, but there was something more than that. She felt loved. He felt it too_. The vision ended with the intensity of bad whiplash on a speeder bike. Pernilla lost her balance and caught herself before she fell to her side. She could not appear to be caught off guard or anything less than graceful, for it was not the way of a _hetaera_. The man was just as shaken as she was and Pernilla knew that it was his perception of the Force that caused him to share in her vision. _But why?_ She had never shared a premonition with someone before nor had she so openly felt a connection with a stranger. The simple answer was that someone or something had wanted him to see it too. It was the only explanation. They still held each other's gaze.

**The** Force had just thrown the apprentice his strangest experience yet. Sure he knew about the famous Pernilla Antilles, the telepath who could give you the best sex that you'll ever have without even touching you, sure he had. But what was _this_? She didn't just dig this out of _his_ mind. Not that he cared. As his master had said, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and he was still staring into her dark blue, almost black eyes. The role of the Force in this vision piqued his curiosity. Why did it seem to be amplified between them? Why was she so strong with the Force? He would have easily dismissed this vision but it stood out in his mind as being important. He would ask his master, he would know. The light of dawn highlighted the curves on Pernilla's face, her breasts and down her side. It hurt the apprentice to leave what felt like a strong Force connection, but he had to break his gaze and go no matter what his master said about fulfilling appetites. This was a potential threat. He fled the club and ran all the way out to his speeder and was back to his master's villa in minutes. He caught his breath and addressed Palpatine.

"Master, I have had a most strange encounter with that girl at the Terav Pilk… She is strangely strong in the Force."

Palpatine looked at his pants with a scowl. "It appears you enjoyed it."

"No, she never touched me and I didn't do anything with her. She was onstage. We—she had a vision and I had it too and I don't know why I saw it but I did and I could tell that the Force is strong with her and she knew what I am and you are, too." The apprentice's mouth was dry from this outburst. "In short, master, she is strong with the Force and uses it like a witch! And she's not a Jedi… or a Sith or one of the Dathomirian hags! What is to be done with her? Who is she?" The apprentice was angry now, not only at what the vision suggested but also at his master's apparent disinterest in the situation.

"Pernilla Antilles is beyond our reach now. The Sith will not know her powers… yet. She is now the estate of the Jedi. She is as old as you are and would make just as fine an apprentice as you." The slightest pang of sadness was in his voice and he looked down. "You need not concern yourself with that girl again."

"Yes, as always Master."

**The** morning broke moodily, with a herd of thunderclouds dampening the rays of the suns. The apprentice was lying on a table on a balcony with a skilled tattoo artist who was applying black and red perma-dye to his torso with a multi-pronged shading needle. He was glad the improved cosmetology technology would ensure that his well-researched Sith tattoos would retain their brilliant colors indefinitely. This procedure, however, made the act of tattooing more painful than normal. This was his final sitting and it was not that he couldn't tolerate the pain, but at this exact moment, the whirring of the tattoo machine and his need to remain still was seriously impeding on the audibility of the conversation taking place below him.

"Thank you for allowing us the use of your residence, Chancellor. And for helping us clear the entry list in an expedient manner. The Council extends its gratitude. It is not easy to get onto Tallinn." Mundi paced around like a Bantha smelling water. He wanted to leave. Now.

"Thank you Chancellor," Mekus bowed.

"Anything to be of assistance," Palpatine stopped to sense if his apprentice was around. Luckily the process of tattooing had practically immobilized him. The master however had misjudged his apprentice who clearly caught what followed. "I am glad that that you have discovered Pernilla. I have long known about her presence on Tallinn and about her… difficult past. Nevertheless, she is a quite skilled telepath. It is clear that she has a gift with the Force even to us mere humans and I am sure she will become a strong Jedi."

The apprentice knew that the Jedi master and his Padawan were in their resort complex. He did not know that they had come for Pernilla.

"Being a telepath, she has of late been put in grave danger by enemies of the Republic. We only wish to help her and to protect her," Mundi added. "Her arrival on Coruscant will be hailed with nearly as much aplomb as that of Anakin Skywalker."

"Indeed, it hasn't been since the great Tai—" Palpatine's voice quivered, barely perceptible to those around him, "that the Republic has known of one with such talents. I look forward to seeing you again on Coruscant."

The apprentice heard both parties leave. He knew that somehow his master knew something about Pernilla. He had lost sleep last night, plagued by that vision. He wanted answers from his master. He lifted his head up from the table. He wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Black and red ink, mixed with his own blood, dripped from his side and the needle whirred on. _You need not concern yourself with that girl again_.


	2. Chapter 2-Fate's Duel

**Fate's Duel**

For my homegirls in the Darth Maul Estrogen Brigade. You know who you are.

_It's been years since Pernilla left Tallinn. After going through countless trials and tribulations, she is now a Jedi Knight sent on top secret missions by the Senate and the Jedi Council. Maul has been as busy as ever, babysitting Count Doku and General Grevious while also growing stronger and more powerful after his experience on Naboo. We now find Pernilla and her best friend Anakin Skywalker passing each other in the night while on patrol. In this excerpt Pernilla faces old and new enemies, both friend and foe._

**"Zoom** in on quadrant 67-09 H," ordered Anakin Skywalker as he sat up from his seat on the bridge of the Republic's light patrol ship. One of the Republic's junior officers brought a close up of the planet Hiirok into view. Like the others in the Hoth system it supported a mining facility. There was nothing there that shouldn't have been but Anakin knew better. He ran his hands through his dark blond hair and sighed in exasperation. "They're there. They're just hiding. I'm going out to find them." Not a word was spoken as the young man made his way towards the docking bay.

Anakin's master, Obi-Wan Kenobi wouldn't approve. But then again, he was on the planet's surface and by the time he'd figured it out it would be too late. Going out there like this would be just like the speeder races he'd done with Pernilla— the directional beacons wouldn't light up until you were close enough to see them. He couldn't sense exactly where the disturbance was coming from, but he knew his quarry was down there. He'd just have to get close enough to chase him out. Anakin felt at home in the tight cockpit of his small fighter. There was no one around to question his motives or to tell him what to do. It felt liberating to be on his own. What would he tell them anyway? That he'd sensed a ripple in the Force and was blindly going after it? It wasn't logical. But then again, probably no one else had felt it either. He thought about Pernilla. She would understand. She felt things like this all of the time.

Anakin fell into place in the lower atmosphere. He turned off his comm station and told his faithful droid R2-D2 to keep things quiet. R2 beeped in acknowledgement. Anakin closed his eyes and let the Force guide him. They had been out here for weeks, keeping the Separatists in check and it was not until recently that Anakin had felt this disturbance in the Force. To say it was a disturbance would be incorrect. It seemed to be as Pernilla had described, a different frequency, like one of a pod's engines spinning slightly out of snyc with the other, barely noticeable to the untrained. Only a skilled pod racer would feel the difference and notice the slight drop in performance. And Anakin felt it. The ripple was only yards below him. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. Was it really nothing? He looked deeper, called on the Force. He thought he saw a slight refraction of light. He moved lower and hovered. He saw nothing and suddenly felt like there had really been nothing there at all that he had been chasing shadows. He turned his ship to leave as R2 chirped, spinning his head and looking guilty.

"I know, I know R2, Obi-Wan wants to talk." He turned his comm station back on and Obi-Wan's voice filled the cockpit.

"Anakin! What are you doing out here? Your orders were to stay with the ship."

"Master, I sensed it again so I decided to have a look this time before it went away."

"Well I haven't sensed anything and I've been on the planet for days. Go back to the ship. We've been ordered to return to Coruscant anyway."

"_Thank you _master." Anakin killed the comm unit and decided to take a quick run through the mining fields, just for fun. R2 chirped and squeaked in delight and protest as Anakin's engines grew bright red and he sped away.

**_Damn_**, thought the Zabrak, _he's come back for more_. In his sleek and deadly ship, Darth Maul was not afraid to take on Anakin in his small planet hopper. He wanted to chase the legendary pilot. Of course he'd seen the Boonta Eve pod race where Anakin defeated Sebulba hands down and where he'd first attacked Qui-Gon Jinn. They thought he was out for the Queen, but they were wrong. Qui-Gon had never been a difficult target and Maul wished that his master would have given him permission to kill the Padawan as well. Now the Padawan was a Jedi, and the Jedi was here and so was his new Padawan. But there would be no race today. Maul was sent to simply patrol the area. It was not yet time to take the Jedi by surprise. Maul would wait. He sat back in his bunk and continued to meditate, to hide himself amongst the vibrations of the Force and to tell Anakin that there really wasn't anything to see. In time Anakin was gone and so was his master. Maul sighed. If patience, as it was said, was a virtue, then Maul certainly wasn't very virtuous at all.

**Pernilla** got the assignment early in the morning. Security detail on Garapin, Hoth's slightly less frozen neighbor. She packed plenty of warm clothes and good books. It would be very cold and she'd be there for awhile. She walked out into the main lobby of the transfer station after a short trip off of Coruscant when she spotted a familiar face.

"Anakin!"

"Pernilla!" He walked up to her and gave her a quick hug. "I'm going back to Coruscant. I hope you're not too bored out there on patrol."

"What's going on out there?"

"A whole lot of nothing. I keep feeling these little ripples… but they're nothing. You'll be fine. Hopefully, you'll be back soon and we can catch up."

"I hope so. I've had a… difficult time lately. Take care, Anakin. I've sent you some pictures of your friend from Naboo I found in the tabloids. Do enjoy." Anakin looked down and blushed as Pernilla smiled wickedly.

"Thanks. May the Force be with you." There was something in the way that he said it that made Pernilla feel like things would never be the same when they met again. It seemed as if time slowed down for a second and she and Anakin were the only ones in the crowded room.

"May the Force be with you, too."

Pernilla walked from the transfer station into a larger, lightly armored Republic edition patrol ship where she met two other Jedi. One was a middle-aged human with a salt and pepper goatee and long hair tied at the nape of his neck. The other was a younger male with eager eyes and short curly blond hair.

"Welcome aboard, Pernilla I'm Logan Elena," the older one said.

"And I'm Padawan Baret Pan'Hasee, on loan from the Academy" said the younger man.

"So you're from Malatica?"

"Yes, of course." The blond blushed and looked down. Pernilla recognized that he had been named after a famous pirate from that planet. She had, of course recognized the other's name as well. Dax, (A/N: Dax was one of Pernilla's attackers when she lived on Tallinn) being in charge of security forces would have a hand in this mission and it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he'd set her up with his friend Elena eventually. Pernilla hoped that her warning on Tallinn had been enough to deter Dax's advances. Only time would tell. Logan took the helm while Baret and Pernilla crawled into their small bunks. Pernilla slept with one eye open.

**A** watery blue form appeared in Logan's palm as he hunched over the control panels on the ship's helm while the others slept. "Dax are you there?"

"Dax here. How are things going?"

"She's asleep and we're about three hours from Garapin. What about the stygium crystal trace we saw before?"

"They're heavy around Garapin. He's patrolling the refinery. I've seen him with my own eyes. He'll keep at it far into the morning. My spy units have given me a good visual on him."

"Are you sure he's the one?"

"Without a doubt. She won't last a second against him."

"Dax, you are a genius. It's only a pity that you can't kill her with your own hands."

"She should have known better than to disgrace me. I'll sleep well tonight knowing that he'll make her suffer. And I'll finally get my revenge."

The watery form disappeared and Logan slipped his comm unit back into his leather pouch. He was too excited to even contemplate sleep.

**Pernilla** slept restlessly and awoke as she flew towards Garapin. The younger Jedi, Baret seemed nice enough. He was embarrassed around Pernilla. She didn't blame him and made a mental note to show him to deal with his feelings towards the opposite sex in ways pleasing to himself that sadly don't get passed on in the Academy. There was much one could do with the Force. As for Logan—Pernilla felt no ill will towards the man, but she didn't trust him either. She could sense that his friendship with Dax was strong and that Logan was fiercely loyal. She fell asleep again and awoke with a strange feeling of apprehension. The vibrations in the Force were slightly off key and she couldn't figure out what was wrong, but they were orbiting Garapin and would soon be landing and she didn't have time for worrying.

She spent a few minutes in the refresher before returning to get dressed. There was nowhere to change in private and if one could die of blushing, Baret would be long gone. She wore thermal pants under her white blaster-repellant suit and put on a light pair of boots, white like her suit. She put on a long sleeved thermal top over a camisole and zipped up the top of her suit. Her white utility belt carried her lightsaber with the adjustable blade. She pinned her hair away from her face and tied the rest of it into a pony tail. This was no beauty pageant. Pernilla wanted to take a blaster, but those sorts of energy discharge weapons would cause explosions in the volatile fuel refinery they were off to search. Outside, Pernilla zipped up her heavy winter coat as she prepared to inspect the refinery. It was white and made to blend into a winter environment. She pulled the hood over her head and the _xanpa_ fur kept her head warm. Her companions were similarly dressed. Pernilla had a sinking feeling in her stomach as the hatch of the shuttle closed and the search party walked towards the dusky refinery.

**It** was growing ever colder and Maul was tired of patrolling the desolate refinery. His mind wandered as he contemplated Anakin and the other Jedi. In his mind's eye he'd fought them both and heard the hum of their lightsabers clash. The vision of such a glorious reunion with Obi-Wan Kenobi made his heart beat a little bit faster and he quickened his steps up the side of a steam processing silo. When he reached the top of the maintenance deck Maul saw a Republic patrol ship land on the outskirts of the refinery. At last more Jedi! He could sense them. He could fell their unique reverberations through the Force. There were three of them. Two were weak and one was very strong, stronger than anything he'd ever felt before. Strong, like Master Sidious. There must be a master and two Padawans. Maul had been ordered to patrol the grounds and if anyone should see him, he was to kill them. He hoped to reveal myself to all three of them, just for the thrill of the fight. Anything to cut through the tedium.

Lord Maul watched them through his powerful binoculars. There were two males and one female, all humans. The girl, for surely she couldn't be a woman, she looked too small and delicate and cold amongst the snow and the two moderately sized males; she would be too easy. Barely worth the effort, but a good warm-up. The older master reminded him of Qui-Gon and suddenly his pulse quickened and his senses sharpened. He hoped the elder would fight well as he watched the girl and the younger man enter a small building. Maul used the Force to leap across the rooftops until he had a better vantage point. He was a hunter now. The older man left his companions inside and stepped outside to raise a comm channel. Maul focused on the Jedi inside and looked at the girl. She felt familiar. Like someone he'd been chasing before.

**"Dax**, we're here." Dax's blue image smiled. "I think he's here, too." Logan looked over his shoulder. "I can sense something."

"Good."

"We're about to split up. How is the diversion going?"

"The charges are in place. They've been set for two hours. That should be long enough to see her die."

"If he doesn't kill her first." Logan smiled as Dax's form faded out. A swoosh of an electric door signaled that he had joined the others.

**A** great feeling swelled and billowed in Pernilla's chest. Something was going to happen. Something so enormous that even Baret could sense it. He was unusually nervous. It grew colder and large, fluffy white flakes fell from the sky as they made their way towards the main building of the refinery. Pernilla stuck her hands into her pockets.

"I think we should split up," Logan said to Pernilla. "This place is huge and empty. I'll take Baret and search the East sector. Call me on the comm if you see anything."

She was glad to have them go. Without their distracted minds, she could focus on her own thoughts and feelings and the task at hand.

**After** seeing the master talking alone outside, Maul had grown very interested in the Jedi drama brewing below him. He had heard something of the master's conversation and then he saw them split up. The girl was alone. He watched the others through the thickening snow. It was cold and Maul brushed white snow off of his dark robes, drew his scarf tighter around his neck and moved to watch the men. They were supposed to be going to a different sector, but it became readily apparent that they were returning to the ship. Leaving! The older one opened the hatch and the younger one began to protest, gesticulating and pointing in the direction of the girl. They fell into a heated argument that the master ended by punching the Padawan into oblivion. It was a shame that the Jedi were having enough problems without him. He supposed that he'd have to satisfy himself with the girl. A pathetic fight was better than no fight. He looked down to see her as she paused for a minute before heading into the main refinery station.

Pernilla paused for a moment before stepping into the main station. The landscape was beautiful. The soft, silent snow lay like a blanket over the rocks that surrounded the refinery. A small shield stood before the building. The snowflakes hit the shield and evaporated away. She looked up into the sky as her hood fell back and cool snowflakes landed on her warm cheeks. She felt calm, yet there were mighty currents pulling at her below the surface within the Force itself. She heard a rumbling noise—it must have been the refinery equipment. Pernilla looked into the building and something drew her inside, a force so great that she could only obey.

She stood in the vast entry of the main refinery. Two large and well-protected conduits ushered unprocessed mineral fluids into a main vat the size of a large cruiser. Like many of these operations, it was controlled by a satellite facility and was devoid of workers for long periods of time, save the occasional repair droid. A vast series of catwalks surrounded the vat and conduits. Pernilla walked deeper into the refinery, following an instinct that drew her towards the pulsing machinery.

Maul entered the main facility from the rear, prying an emergency exit open with the Force. He walked around the fuel processing vat, flexing his muscles at the prospect of a fight. He followed an invisible scent that drew him towards the pulsing conduits, a rip tide within the Force more powerful than even his master.

The Force led Pernilla along the pulsing conduits, their blue lights illuminating her path as she walked, then ran closer to the main processing vat until she saw… _him…_ and he saw… _her_.

Pernilla drew her lightsaber and ignited it as she clashed against Maul's blade. His weapon was not unfamiliar. She smiled a wicked smile. She knew two blades as well as she knew one. Maul took a moment to take his opponent in. She had a small saber. Or was it? The blade grew suddenly, inching its way closer to his body as she put all of her weight behind it and extended it to its full length. His fiery eyes twitched and a sharp kick from Pernilla's boot broke their impasse.

Pernilla had to lose her jacket. It was warm, almost hot in the refinery and the jacket was too bulky to fight in. She ran down the length of the corridor, jabbing and slashing behind her as she ran. She had one arm out before having to levitate her lightsaber for a second as she threw the jacket off. At last she could face her opponent on an even field. There was a reason the Force had drawn her here. She saw it in a second—she would at last confront the Sith! A small step was only a few feet away and she used it as a spring board, jumping backwards over the Sith as he lunged towards her.

He did as she would do, swinging the lower blade out and back before turning around. Pernilla knew he would do this and left him swinging at air. But his forward blade met hers against the thick side of the conduit in a shower of sparks. Just as she had removed her jacket, so had he removed his cloak. They rode each other's blades against the conduit and she saw him up close for the first time. He was a Zabrak with fire-colored eyes and strange tattoos. She thought of her warrior friend Ren and pushed harder, breaking the stalemate and violently clashing against his blade as she struggled against his body. The Jedi and the Sith fought all the way down the conduit, their sabers _whooping_ and slicing through the air. Pernilla tripped over a small step and fell on her side. She quickly rolled over onto her back, narrowly missing the humming of his saber. But she didn't miss his sharp kick to her ribs. Something cracked and she groaned out loud. Pernilla used the Force to push him away. He hit a bulkhead with a thud as she stood up.

Pernilla was up and running towards Maul before he could get back up on his feet. She wasn't as slight as he'd thought she was—he'd had to kick her pretty hard to break her ribs. She was lightening fast and highly skilled in teräs käsi and the use of the lightsaber, too many forms for him to count. To say that Maul had underestimated her would be a gross understatement. She was indeed young, beautiful and the look in her eye told him that she would stop at nothing to end his life. A worthy opponent, indeed. As Maul sprung up Pernilla landed a hard kick against the handle of his saber, throwing him down again. Her unnaturally blue eyes glowed in the light of the conduits wickedly, almost like the Sith. This time Maul made it back up. They parried back and forward for what seemed like hours. It seemed as if they had been made for this fight. Pernilla saw Maul's strikes before they happened and he could barely keep up with her mental preparedness. He answered by pushing her physical boundaries and by attacking her relentlessly.

She had figured out that she could traverse the catwalks easily and it felt like Maul was fighting Qui-Gon all over again, albeit a stronger, better version. He remembered what he'd learned in the Theed Palace. But Qui-Gon had not been this small and certainly not this mean. He'd cornered her high above the main vat of chemicals and punched out, hitting air as she pushed one of his blades down with her own and opened up a space for her to land a punch flush against Maul's jaw. He'd seen it coming. His eyes squinted and he pushed away the pain, spitting blood onto her white coveralls. She slashed her saber at him and pushed forward. Maul admired her strength and courage. Had she not had breasts, he'd swear she had been a man and a Jedi master, although he immediately knew that it was she who had been the most powerful of the group.

It was Maul's turn to trip and fall this time and she wasted no time dancing between his blades and kicking him hard in the ribs. By that time it was obvious to him that she had been trained to use a double-bladed lightsaber. She knew all of his weak points. Pernilla took short breaths, her mind pushing back the pain and remembering the fine art of Crucitorn. She maneuvered between his red blades and kicked him a few times, striking out with her own searing white blade. He was surprised. She let him stand back up. This had quickly become a gentleman's fight, but as soon as he was ready to fight a terrible shock rocked the building.

_Containment integrity breeched. Full alert. All personnel evacuate._

A klaxon rang as Maul and Pernilla were thrown down on the catwalk as the emergency low gravity dampeners deployed. The gravitational field was intentionally weakened in an attempt to contain the breech. Pernilla lost her grip on her lightsaber, just in time to see her opponent's weapon flying towards her as everything became lighter. She used the Force to rein it in and ignited both blades. He extended her saber to its full length and they took a run at each other. Pernilla had trained with Anakin in low gravity fields before, but she hadn't prepared for the dampeners returning to normal. She hit the deck. The full weight of her body smashed her hand between the lightsaber and the floor. Her knuckles were bleeding but she didn't feel a thing. The Sith had hit the railing, but was soon back on his feet.

He was a good thirty meters away from Pernilla and they continued to charge. Pernilla was relentless. It was her turn to show him just how much she knew about his lightsaber. They were on a small and rather flimsy catwalk. Sensing that they'd be losing hold on gravity soon, Pernilla slashed through the floor in front of Maul, took a few steps back and used the Force to jump behind him. She blocked his attack, slashed the floor in front of him and watched him fall down to a more stable level. She had completely surprised him. One side of her mouth curled into a wicked smile.

She could have attacked Maul at this point, but she wanted a fair shot. The rush of aggression and adrenaline pared with the Pernilla's skills were completely intoxicating to the Sith. Whatever had drawn him into this place drew him towards her. Maul would be lying if he'd said that this duel hadn't also in some strange way been very erotic, a deadly dance between the sexes. She stood above him with his lightsaber, striking its blades against the severed metal, showering him with sparks. He stepped out of the way and she jumped down.

That second of intimacy was shattered when Pernilla attacked Maul. He'd never seen anyone fight like she did. It was as if he was fighting himself, the Maul of his fantasies with infinite powers and skills. He used the Force to push things in front of her, anything to give himself a break, but she pushed them away with a flick of her hand. Maul couldn't take this anymore. He was getting bested by his own weapon! Her lightsaber was solid and stronger than most and he could deflect her blows, but he was angry. She'd cornered him and their blades were locked again. Maul lashed out, kicking her in the stomach then coming back with an uppercut in the jaw that left her spitting blood all over the place. She reeled and tried to regain her balance as the emergency low gravity dampeners returned.

Pernilla was close to passing out. She had no idea what remained of her ribcage and was coughing and choking on her own blood. She tried to grab onto something but the lack of gravity left her spinning in air. She looked over to the Sith and he was fuming. She'd beaten him with his own weapon and now she would pay. He pushed himself towards her and they pushed their blades into a familiar impasse as they tried to negotiate the lack of gravity. _If Anakin were here_, Pernilla thought, _I'd be bouncing all over the place, but then again, Anakin wouldn't break ten of my ribs and leave me drowning in my own blood_. She held onto her Crucitorn training and the adrenaline pushed away the pain.

Pernilla lashed out, kicking and punching as they lost grip of their lightsabers as the dampeners failed again. Warning klaxons went off as she landed softly back onto the deck. It was her turn to kick him in the ribs and she dealt him a double blow in the chest and jaw. His anger now cursed through her veins and she used the Force to retrieve her saber. He'd also found his and their blades met in a flurry of sparks. They'd pushed each other over the main vat of the refinery and their sparks fell dangerously close to the weakened fuel lines. Maul cornered Pernilla at the end of the catwalk and stood on top of the railing, ready to deal a death blow. She was tired, but she could deflect it.

His fiery eyes met hers when a violent explosion rocked the refinery. Maul lost his footing and fell from the railing. Without thinking, Pernilla dropped her saber and flew faster than any human could see to the edge of the catwalk, thrusting both of her arms into the abyss and hoping beyond all reason that she could catch him. She didn't know why she did it. Something compelled her to try to save this stranger's life. Pernilla didn't remember feeling anything in her hands, but the pain in her rib cage told her that she had, indeed caught the man's wrist. She screamed out in pain and could no longer keep herself from crying.

**_Surely_**, Maul thought, _I was going to die and I remembered how I had nearly done so at the hands of the Jedi before_. _At least this time it had been an honorable fight and this Jedi was a worthy opponent._ He held his lightsaber in one hand and hopelessly reached up towards the catwalk, and to his shock and surprise his descent stopped violently. Maul looked up and there was the girl, legs firmly planted against the floor, ribs and breasts smashed painfully against the railing, her two hands grasping his wrists. She was screaming and crying and Maul realized how badly he had hurt her and suddenly felt remorse, something he'd never experienced before.

Her grip was strong and never wavered. Maul was only beginning to understand the power of this girl. There was a look of fierce determination in her strange blue eyes. He deactivated the blades of his lightsaber and returned it to his belt. He grabbed one of her wrists and when she was confident with his grip, she used the Force to pull him back onto the catwalk. Pernilla reeled backwards, cursing away the pain. She picked up her lightsaber and then looked at Maul before running madly away towards the exit in the rear of the building. He followed her, quickly understanding that the refinery was going to explode.

She was on the ground level when another explosion rocked the building. It knocked her down and she would have been burned had it not been for her protective suit. But the suit couldn't protect her from shrapnel. A large piece of conduit fell directly on top of her and she fell silent. Maul was only a hundred meters away from the exit. He jumped down and pulled the conduit away with the Force. She wasn't moving. He picked her up, wrapping his arm under hers and dragging her to the exit.

It was freezing outside. She was not conscious and he had doubts that she was alive. But something compelled him to save her. Maul drew his free arm under her knees and ran towards the _Scimitar_. It was close enough to the refinery to suffer damage from the blast. He opened its hold with the Force, ran inside, dumped the girl on his bed and quickly fired up the ship's engines. Maul flew over the refinery complex as one last, violent blast destroyed the building. He was knocked forward and his horns dug uncomfortably into the instrument console. Warning lights blinked and alarms voiced concern. He didn't look at anything until they were safely in orbit. The hyperdrive was damaged. Wherever they were going, they weren't going to get there very fast. The _Scimitar _ was safe for now. Maul set his ship to autopilot and headed back to his quarters.


	3. Chapter 3- Of Love and Evil

**Chapter 3- Of Love and Evil**

_In the aftermath of Pernilla's betrayal, Dax and Logan spread rumors about her supposed death, while Pernilla and Maul must confront their inexplicable feelings and behavior during their fight on Garapin._

**The** girl was where Maul had left her, looking near-death. Blood continued to seep from her mouth and she had taken a nasty hit to the head from the blast. He'd also been cut and bruised and had a broken rib or two… or three. He threw off his clothes and took a quick shower and brought out his med pack from the hold. Maul treated himself first, using three bone setting patches to quickly mend his ribs so he could reuse them to treat her. She would need them more than he would. He returned to the bathroom and brought out a washcloth and a cup of warm water. He washed her face, ever so gently wiping blood away from her mouth and cleaning her head wound, silently aware that each touch was terribly painful. He set up a small scanner and allowed its small droid unit to run a full body scan.

While the scanner worked, Maul exchanged his bath towel for a clean pair of teräs käsi pants and a comfortable tee, all in black of course. He was a mess. Not only was he sore and tired, but he was fighting a mental battle as well. _Why did I saver her? She is my enemy, a Jedi, one whom I have been trained to kill and hate since the moment I came into this world. As a Sith, I should kill her, just as she would kill me. What is she to me anyway? _And there was the crux of the matter. Maul knew her. He'd seen her before—the club on Tallinn. He heard his master's voice in his head, _"You need not concern yourself with that girl again."_ But there she was, lying on his bed. He had met her, known her, been seduced in his sleep by her in visions that seemed so real! Why?! He didn't know why, but he was drawn to her all the same… through the Force. It took him awhile to sense it, but the energy swirling around him had quite suddenly began to swirl around her and he was drawn towards her like a pathetic moth flies to his death in the flame. Maul pounded his fist against the bulkhead. _This is impossible!_ Maul thought. _I told myself that she saved my life for no apparent reason and now I'm compelled to save hers. _Justification made his indignation a little easier to bear.

The med scan did not have a good prognosis. After reading the girl's results Maul immediately regretted having injured her. Regret was just one of those inexplicable feelings he'd been experiencing lately. He'd killed plenty of people and had felt less. She had many broken bones. Her jaw had a hairline fracture where she had met his heel and he had broken a good number of her ribs, some dangerously close to puncturing her lungs. Her head wound would leave no permanent damage, but she had sustained a very nasty concussion and a slight skull fracture. Maul applied therapy patches to her head wound before tackling her ribs. He stood back and looked at the situation. She wore stylish, yet utilitarian boots and a very fine set of blaster-proof coveralls. She had impeccable taste in fashion and weaponry and now he had to take her clothes off. She had proven her merit as a warrior, she was very beautiful and Maul had grown to respect her a great deal. Something inside of him did not wish to violate the warrior's code, and dare he think it, the ethical codes of a gentleman, which he conceded at most times he was not, and it took him a moment to collect his thoughts before he began to remove her clothing. He fought to push away the visions he'd seen of her, tried to forget feeling her practically naked body sitting in his lap…

But Maul had broken her ribs and he owed it to her to repair them. He knelt at the foot of his bed and lifted her farthest boot ever so gently, removing the straps and sliding it off. The other one followed and then he moved to the head of the bed. She laid completely unconscious, taking short, labored breaths. Maul timidly unzipped her coveralls, picking her up carefully as he removed her arms from the suit. He didn't want to damage it—those types of suits were terribly expensive. Even he didn't have one. He peeled it down to her feet. She stirred a little bit and let out a quiet moan. Maul froze, feeling guilty as heat suddenly rushed over his face. He would have to negotiate a full set of thermals… But he found a pair of scissors in the med pack and simply cut her clothing away. It would be too painful to try to remove it and his body and mind just couldn't handle that.

When he was done she lay peacefully in nothing more than her bra and panties. She had beautiful tattoos, Bunduki chains of protection in black that circled her shoulders, upper arms and ankles. There was something on her back in the language of Maul's people, but he wasn't sure what it meant. He took great pains to attach the appropriate bone setting patches without causing her any undue pain. As he undertook this task, he was again struck by his attraction to her. The feeling was different than before. What had once been conscious thought was now an instinct, driven by whatever drew him to her in the first place. How could he forget her beautiful tattoos? Her magical eyes? Her beautiful body, the way her hair fell against her perfect breasts that were now bruised and beaten? She was _the_ woman in his visions and Maul finally let himself accept that they had been drawn together by the Force. But why? He didn't know. Maul released the band that held her hair in place and gave her a painkilling sedative. He covered her with warm and comfortable blankets and propped her head up with a pillow. He took a pillow and an extra blanket for himself and decided to sleep at the helm. And as a measure of good faith, he left all of her clothing at the foot of his bed, along with an extra teräs käsi outfit, a glass of water and a food pack. He placed both of their lightsabers on a small stool next to the bed. Maul was too tired and confused to consider what would happen when she woke up.

**Pernilla** fell though days and weeks of darkness. She was completely empty, scared and cold, huddled up in a _sassiphalt_ mine, crying as the rain washed chemicals down her cheeks. The world passed her by as she suffered and cried. When she stopped crying, it stopped raining. She began walking and walked for days. And then at last she caught up with consciousness and awoke. Her eyelids fluttered open. She was in a dark room, lying in a comfortable bed. _Logan and Baret must have found me_, she thought. She flexed her fingers and gripped the sheets. They were soft and smelled like warm sunshine on an alpine meadow. Her head was pounding and each blink was an earthquake of pain. Pernilla felt something on her torso and realized that she was practically naked. They hadn't had the decency to cover her up, but at least they'd treated her wounds. She sat up and swung her bruised legs over the edge of the bed. The bed was large and low to the ground. She was not aboard a Republic cruiser. Her head screamed in protest and she would have been sick had she eaten anything in the past few hours. There was a glass of water on a stool next to the bed. She tried to stand up and walk towards it, but Pernilla was too weak. She fell down and cried, her whole body throbbing with pain. As she lay on the floor she sensed that something wasn't right. Logan and Baret weren't here, but he was. Yes, Pernilla sensed the Sith in a room adjacent to this one. He was here and she was his captive. It would have been so easy after that last blast, when she'd been knocked out cold on the floor...

**Pernilla** lifted her head up and saw that her clothing had been neatly piled at the foot of the bed. She crawled towards it and found her comlink on her belt. She sat on the floor and tried to raise the others. These smaller comlinks didn't usually have much of a range, but it was worth a shot.

"Pernilla to Patrol Unit 45. Patrol Unit 45 do you copy?"

The device didn't even make a chirp. She shook it and slammed it against the floor. Still there was nothing. He must have sabotaged it. Pernilla unscrewed the unit. There was nothing inside. She looked up when she heard someone behind the door. It swooshed open and she came face to face with her enemy. She didn't speak, but squinted and looked away from the light in the other room.

"It never worked." He said as Pernilla shot him a suspicious look. His voice was strong and deep, but she was not intimidated as she held the dysfunctional device in her hands. "They set you up."

That was it, Pernilla made a mad dash towards the lightsabers that sat behind her. She crawled and pulled herself like an infant wriggling out of its mother's arms. She knocked the stool down and ignited his lightsaber while desperately holding on to her own. It would be easier for her to defend herself with two blades. He didn't move.

"I'm not going to harm you." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the bulkhead. "And I didn't sabotage your comlink."

"Why in the galaxy should I believe _you_?" Pernilla spoke through clenched teeth as she propped herself up against the stool and fought against the pain.

"Search your feelings. Your Jedi friends jumped right back into their ship as soon as you entered the refinery. I saw it with my own eyes."

"My feelings tell me you're a liar. That you're trying to turn me away from the Jedi and use me for your own dark purposes." She turned on the other blade of Maul's lightsaber and pushed against the bulkhead.

"I'm not going to hurt you and that is not a lie, even though I know you are more than capable of hurting me."

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." She relaxed only slightly as she gained control over some of her pain. "So why did you save me? It would have been easier if you would have killed me."

"_Why did I save you!?_"The man was angry now and crouched down on the floor. He was trying to be sincere and Pernilla wasn't listening. "_Why did I save you?_ Why did _you_ reach out for _me_? You spoke of killing me. You had your chance, but you held out your hand! That is why I saved you."

"Really."

"Oh don't pretend you didn't feel it." Maul was even more frustrated and spoke to Pernilla behind clenched teeth. His angry face looked fierce in the light of the red saber. "How could I forget you?!" He punched the side of the bed. "_You!_" Pernilla drew back suddenly awash in his feelings of frustration and in her own pain. Maul stood up and let out a long sigh as she clung to his weapon and held hers in her free hand. His hands were on his head, massaging the space between his horns.

"For the last time, I am not going to hurt you." His voice was quiet. "All of your belongings are here. I left you some of my clothing if you don't mind wearing it. I will get you another glass of water and a food pack. You can have a shower whenever you like, but I would suggest that you rest first." He looked back over his shoulder as he stood up to leave. "Forgive me for hurting you so." His last line was curt and he quickly left the room. Pernilla turned off the lightsaber and rested her head against the bulkhead.

_I know this man. I saw him the last time I ever danced at the Terav Pilk. He looked at me and we saw something. A vision. We had been fighting and then we were thrown deep into the throes of passion. He had seen it too, and now he was frustrated because of it. I don't know what to do…_ Pernilla crawled back into bed, _his_ bed. She didn't care. She searched her feelings and as much as she hated to admit it, the Sith seemed to be telling the truth.

**She** was deep into a healing trance when Maul dared to venture into his room again. He could see the small lights of the bone setters blinking under his shirt. She had put it on. It was a small step. He cleaned up what she had knocked down and left her some more water and a large food pack, a real meal with the best meat and vegetables that credits could buy. He was frustrated by the vision and the fact that it was unfolding before his eyes as he'd seen it a million times and he could do nothing about it. They were helpless pawns in a _dejarik_ game playing out the strategy of some nameless force, if not _the_ Force itself. On one hand, Maul was bound by his duty to serve his master, yet in the other he was completely intrigued by the Jedi girl and his master's past admonition to not concern himself with her. He had contacted Sidious and told him about the damage to the _Scimitar_. He had ordered Maul to remain and perform the necessary repairs in secret and to take as long as he needed. Every time he walked past the door to the bedroom he heard his master's voice clash against his personal feelings. _If the Force drew me to her, how could that feeling be wrong?_ What did Sidious know about her that he didn't? He was willing to risk the wrath of his master to find out. At last he had found some semblance of peace. With the girl at rest, he fell into his own healing trance.

**The** rush of warm water had never felt so good. Pernilla felt much better than she had before. Her healing trance had patched up her wounds completely and she was left with only a bit of residual stiffness. She removed the bone setters when they had turned themselves off and placed them back into the med pack. It was the least that she could do. She washed herself completely and searched her feelings. Flashes of the past day skipped before her eyes. She suddenly remembered her unsettled feelings, the fact that Logan and Dax ran deep with each other, the noise that she'd head—it wasn't the refinery exploding, it was the cruiser taking off…and of course the comlink. He hadn't lied about that. Pernilla sighed and realized the truth. She had been set up. Dax wanted her dead, but like everyone else, he had grossly underestimated her survival instincts. So the Sith had told the truth.

As she dried herself off and slipped into his clothes she sensed that he truly wasn't going to hurt her. Nevertheless, it would be silly not to watch her back. She couldn't answer the questions she knew were bothering him, or maybe it was just that she didn't want to admit that it was also given to her in a vision that had single handedly changed the course of her life. She remembered that rainy day on Tallinn, the waves crashing around her feet as she contemplated the Jedi's offer. Pernilla had looked to that vision and made a fateful decision that day. However, that still didn't answer the question. It didn't explain why the Sith and Pernilla had been simultaneously drawn together or why she'd felt a strange connection to this man… and she didn't even know his name. He'd left her a delicious food pack. He certainly spared little expense in his travel arrangements. At least they had that much in common. He entered the room as she finished eating.

"You're right," Pernilla said, much stronger now. She stood up from the bed and looked him in the eyes. "I was betrayed."

"I would not lie to you."

"And why not?"

"Because I respect you. You fight honorably with much skill and courage."

It was a completely unexpected compliment. Pernilla blushed a little and looked down, then back into his fiery eyes. "Thank you. I have never had the pleasure of fighting against such a competent and talented man." They were testing the waters. There seemed little point in manipulation at the moment.

"You are very powerful, for someone who's only been a Jedi for seven years."

"How did you know?" Pernilla was taken aback.

"On Tallinn. The Jedi came for you…"

"Of course." Pernilla looked down again and changed the subject. "What is your name?" She smiled, suddenly feeling shy.

"Darth Maul."

"Well Darth Maul, I'm Pernilla Antilles." So they were on speaking terms. The current around them suddenly became stronger. They were the eye in a hurricane growing quickly through the Force. She looked him over for a second, remembering how much she had liked his tattoos the first time she'd seen him.

"So, Pernilla… do you know anything about fixing a hyperdrive?"

**Pernilla** had spent an hour wedged between the decks of the _Scimitar_, a space too small for Maul to squeeze into, desperately trying to build a solid connection out of a fried mass of wires. In the end, she wasn't terribly successful, but Maul's ship was on more solid ground. He offered her his hand, but she jumped nimbly out of the tiny access space on her own.

"You couldn't fix it?"

"No. I think you'll need to find a spaceport." Maul was very impressed by her technical skills and was even more surprised that she had even volunteered to help. They walked silently to the helm. The frozen mass of Garapin loomed below. It was time to leave this place. She sat in the smaller jump seat opposite to Maul's veritable throne. She looked at the console in front of her, pressed a few buttons and suddenly came up with a map on the view screen.

"You've lost fifty percent of your injection capacity and the generator core of the hyperdrive is down forty-nine percent, giving you a 10-parsec travelling range. It's not much, but here are your options."

Maul looked up at the screen. Her calculations were correct and she had impressed him yet again. There were three planets to choose from: Endor, Pearis Neepha, and Lamare. Something told Maul Lamare.

"Lamare."

"I'm drawn to that planet." Her fingers brought the planet onto the view screen. There was nothing there except an abandoned colony. And there was nothing on Endor except worthless Ewoks and Pearis Neepha was uninhabited. Logic seemed to support what they had felt.

"You're the captain," she said with some sort of indescribable feeling behind her eyes. "Set the course."

**Lamare** was a verdant planet, covered in decadent conifers and voluptuous deciduous trees that bloomed in the summer months and set the forest on fire in the fall. Several types of deer raised their antlers and ran as the sleek black ship landed in their meadow, sending waves through grass and wildflowers. Pernilla was back in Maul's room. She sat on his bed, zipping up her blaster suit and securing her boots. She took her lightsaber with her and stepped out of the ship and into the glorious sun of the edenic planet. Maul had stepped out before her. She was very apprehensive and suddenly felt very introverted and uncertain. Would things change between them outside of the small ship?

"The abandoned settlement is about a day's hike away. There was a landing pad, but it is not stable. I'm hoping that we'll find what we need."

"It shouldn't be hard to find that conduit," Pernilla said as she trailed behind him. "It's a very common component in almost anything with an engine." She was apprehensive. Something was making her second guess everything that had unfolded in the past few days. They were being watched it seemed, not by a single viewer but by the entire planet. She followed him in silence for a few miles, until he spoke up.

"I have alerted my master to my problems. He has advised me to repair the ship and return to Coruscant." Pernilla's back straightened. She took a deep breath in and her eyes opened wide.

"And what is to become of me?"

"I haven't told my master that I've captured a Jedi." Maul, too had felt a sudden apprehension as he walked through the trees. Fear gripped at his rational mind and vastly changed the dynamics in his relationship with the Jedi. He was in attack mode again and suddenly became hostile. He felt once again the need to kill her, to uphold the code of the Sith. "My master will tell me what is to become of you and perhaps you will even be allowed to fight for your life one last time. He's taught me everything about you Jedi and shown me your weaknesses. I will defeat you." There was a certain detachment in his voice. His feelings were muddled. He hadn't made up his mind. Pernilla had great powers in sensing emotions and she immediately felt Maul's fear and attacked it head on.

"He's stronger than any Jed-" Maul started.

"You're such a _tool_." He stopped and looked Pernilla square in the face. How dare she insult him? "Just another mindless slave, as I once was. I've heard the way you speak to your master, the way you beg for scraps from his table. Everything that you do, you do for him. You can't even think for yourself! Do you even have a real name? Do you even know who you are?!" Maul moved to hit Pernilla, but she quickly stepped aside and his fist pounded into a tree instead.

"Go ahead, kill me," she continued. "Judging from our last fete, I think you'd be lucky if you could do it at all! And what have I got to lose anyway?" She walked up a small embankment and circled Maul. "It's not like the Jedi are ready to take me back!" Pernilla turned her back on Maul and let her anger subside. He uttered not a word. She walked back and an uncomfortable moment passed. "Alright, that was a little bit uncalled for," Pernilla said. "I'm sorry. But you shouldn't let your apprehension get the better of you."

Maul looked back at her and thanked the gods that his tattoos covered his deep blush. "Forgive me. Let's keep walking." She led the way this time. Maul rubbed his knuckles all the while wondering just how Pernilla had caught on to his fear. He had never met anyone who could sense anything with that amount of precision.

"Pernilla…"

"Yes."

"How did you know that I was—?"

"I'm telepathic. I knew you weren't going to kill me and that you had felt a great deal of apprehension as soon as we began our trek and that was why you were behaving the way you did. I feel it too. There's something here. This place isn't what it seems."

"I see." There was no hiding from her. Maul thought about the vision. Was it the result of her gift? She felt him ask this question and dared not formulate a response.

They walked on and Pernilla continued, "My telepathic ability, that's why the Jedi came for me, why the ones on Garapin wanted me dead, why strangers try to kidnap me and my life is constantly in danger…" She stopped on a ridge and looked out over a beautiful lake and several waterfalls. "So keep that little secret deep within your black robes. I might come in handy to you some day." Pernilla's eyes were unnaturally calm and a hardened, embittered expression took over her face. Maul looked out at the lake.

"C'mon," Pernilla whispered, "the sun is setting and we need to make camp."


	4. Chapter 4- With a Brand New Name

**Chapter 4- With a Brand New Name**

**Maul** and Pernilla camped under a humongous conifer with soft needles. He gave Pernilla the best food pack he had taken and they ate in silence. He had to do something to repair the rift that had grown between them. He gathered some dry wood and placed the branches in a teepee on a clear spot of soil and attempted to start a fire with the Force. Starting a small fire with many pieces of wood was very difficult for him. He had no problem causing a tree to catch fire or a building or even a cloak. He concentrated on the wood again and there was nothing. Pernilla took a seat across from Maul and started working her fingers through the currents of the Force in front of her. A strong flame arose from the dry wood. The fire burned intensely and he looked at her. Dark shadows intensified the pain and detachment he saw in her eyes. In all of this Maul had somehow forgotten that she had just been betrayed by the very organization who had, to his understanding, fought desperately to have her join their ranks and who had required her to sacrifice everything for their cause.

"The key is, like so many other things, is to visualize the process," her voice was tired and heavy. "Look at the wood, work the Force with your hands until you see it flowing through the wood. Then see the wood on fire and there you go."

She got up and walked away from him. Pernilla lay down in a small nest she'd built in the needles, her back towards Maul. As the fire died away, he heard quiet sobs coming from the nest of needles. He knew she was crying and suddenly felt the urge to comfort her. But this time it was not simply a push from the Force. After all that they had been through, the need to comfort her grew out of his duty to her as a friend.

Pernilla cried the night away knowing that Maul was watching her, desperately wanting to do something to make herself feel better. If he had moved from the fire, she would have fought him to the death, so desperately did she need a bit of privacy to mourn the loss of the life that she had known. She cried for what she'd given up to become a Jedi and the friends that she had lost. Dax was one small person, but he had connections and she knew that Logan had told the Council that she was dead. She had not once felt a single mental probe from her so-called masters and friends. After all that she had worked for… would no one fight for her now? Did no one care? In her mind's eye, Pernilla saw the stone cold faces of the Jedi Council and shuddered. A sad vision from her childhood turned her bed into a cold _sassiphalt_ mine. _No one looked for me on that cold night. No one called my name. I cried as the chemicals leeched into my skin. As I crouched half-dead in the mine, I knew that I would always be alone in this world. I was on Lamare in a pile of needles, but if you asked me at that moment, I was in the mines again._

**Pernilla** must have fallen asleep during the night. Her arm was asleep and her eyes were puffy when she awoke. Maul gave her a protein drink for breakfast and he led the way towards the abandoned colony. He didn't say anything and she sensed he knew what was going on. As they walked, Pernilla felt stronger despite the growing apprehension she continued to feel. According to Maul's navigation device, they were getting very close to the old settlement. They walked against a cliff of some height, made of decomposing shale. The apprehension intensified as she looked at the rock face.

"Maul, do you feel that?"

Before she could get the words out of her mouth they had both drawn their lightsabers and fallen into a defensive stance. The wall in front of them had disappeared, revealing a large door that stood open and in the opening stood a man. He was tall, with shoulder length black hair and a large, pulsating orange-white lightsaber.

"So the trees have eyes," Maul whispered to Pernilla.

"Yes, indeed," Pernilla replied.

The man stepped out and they drew in closer, ready for a fight.

"Identify yourselves!" Shouted the man.

"My name is Pernilla Antilles, Jedi Knight."

"Darth Maul, Lord of the Sith."

The man in the doorway smiled warmly and retracted his blade. They did likewise, with much apprehension.

"You've come sooner that I'd expected. Please, come in."

Their unlikely host led Pernilla and Maul into a warm, organic hall that ended against a wall that appeared to be made of the same shale that they'd seen outside. The walls appeared to be made of wood. They were circular in shape and let in light from skylights above. Maul stopped and held out his hand, signaling Pernilla to do the same.

"We don't go any farther until you tell us who you are," Maul said.

"That, my friend is a very simple question with a very long and complicated answer. Perhaps you'd like to discuss this over a drink and some lunch?" His large green eyes looked over the human and the Zabrak. Maul looked to Pernilla for guidance. She was more capable of sensing what was on this strange man's mind.

"Yes. Now that you mention it, I am very hungry," said Pernilla quietly. Her eyes were distant in contemplation. Maul felt the Force ripple and surge around her as her mind read its waves.

The man turned and led them down another hallway, his black cloak gliding over the floor and sending stray leaves scuttling away. Pernilla looked out a window and saw a beautiful forest surrounding the lake that they had seen earlier. They must be inside the cliff and looking out. A giant door, made out of a number of exotic woods and metals opened before them, its circular shape spinning slightly to the left before it spun to the right and opened in the manner of a giant gear box. It was strange and beautiful and nothing like anything Maul or Pernilla had ever seen.

"All of the doors around here are controlled through the Force. That way our security will never be compromised by non-Force users." The stranger stopped and motioned for his guests to enter what looked like a large study. Pernilla stepped in first, Maul behind her, hand on saber. They took a seat in large overstuffed chairs covered in some strange kind of hide that was deep burgundy in color. They were extremely soft. Pernilla sat back and closed her eyes.

"Pernilla," Maul whispered through his teeth. "What's going on?"

"Have you ever heard of a rogue Jedi?"

"Of course."

"I think I know who this man is. If I'm sensing things right, we're in the company of a very powerful Force-adept."

The man heard all of their conversation, for he was strong in the Force and had many years to perfect his knowledge of and skills with the great power.

"Who is he?" Maul leaned deep onto Pernilla's chair.

"I've read many things about a man named Timo Ragian. He left the Jedi to follow his own path. We are forced to keep watch on these so called 'rogue' Jedi."

Maul slammed back into his chair when he heard the man return. He brought a large tray of fruit and small meat pies as well as a pitcher of a cool carbonated liquid. He poured his guests a drink before he drank himself. The drink was sweet and refreshing.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Timo Ragian." Pernilla remained calm while Maul tried very hard to conceal his surprise. Apparently, the girl was as talented as she seemed. "Now you are wondering why I have invited you here and how I knew that you were coming." Pernilla and Maul fixed their eyes on Timo's lean body and curiously gothic face. He continued, "As you have already sensed, the Force is strong in me. I was born somewhere in the Galactic Core and was kidnapped by the Jedi at a very early age. I was raised and trained as a Jedi and I even attained the rank of Jedi Knight. It was when I was to be promoted to the position of master that I realized what the Jedi were all about. The Council was as petty and inefficient as the Senate. They were weak and morally repugnant and it was only after my apprentice was killed that I found the courage to leave the order once and for all." Much to Timo's surprise, his story did not seem shocking to either Maul or Pernilla.

"I have read about you, in the archives." Pernilla remarked as he continued.

"Indeed. They came after me. I ran until I found this place. It was safe, out of the way and beautiful. I found peace here. I built myself a fortress and then I built the 'ruins' of the colony and altered the Republic's records to say that there had once been a colony here."

"You built the so-called ruins?" Maul raised a hairless brow.

"Yes. And I did it so that my activities and buildings would go unnoticed. When you landed here, you saw what you wanted to—the ruins of a colony. It's protection."

"So what have you done with yourself?" Pernilla asked.

"I have always been a great scholar and as you can see, I've amassed a great deal of information here in this library, and five others all larger than this one."

"What do you study?" Pernilla was very interested in Timo, although her face betrayed absolutely no emotion. She was pulling information out of him like a weaver pulls silk strands from a cocoon.

"Everything there is to know about the Force, the Jedi and the Sith. I have amassed an enormous collection of holocrons," Maul leaned in closer. He was very interested in acquiring a Sith holocron for himself. "I have spent thousands of hours in meditation, teaching myself things unimaginable in the Jedi Temple, learning what others fear to teach, asking and answering difficult questions. I am a wandering scholar and warrior, ever ready to clean up situations that the Jedi and the Republic… leave behind."

Now Timo turned to Maul with a stern look. "Don't think that my disparity with the Jedi means that I harbor any allegiance to the Sith. My sole alliance is with the Force."

"I understand you completely," Pernilla nodded. "I made that same promise… once when I was a girl." Maul looked at her strangely. To him, Pernilla seemed monolithic in her loyalty to the Jedi. He had not expected this.

"I can sense that you both are still rather apprehensive. Forgive me. I've been watching you since your ship entered the atmosphere. And Maul you were quite correct in seeing that the trees did in fact, have eyes. Thousands of spy droids swarm my forests."

"But why did we come here? We had other choices, but we were both quite literally drawn to this place," Pernilla was nervous. She wanted answers and so did Maul.

"I felt the pull too," Timo replied. "It was a tiny pull, a twinge inside the Force. It took me awhile to figure out where it was coming from, but I soon found it. It was a holocron. Older than any others I have and very, _very_ unique."

"What holocron was it?" Maul asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Have you ever heard of the Force Union?"

Pernilla's knuckles grew white as she grabbed the arms of the chair. Her breath came fast and labored as she stared at Timo. Suddenly it all made sense—the attraction, the urges that came like instincts, the answer to the fateful question: _Why had she reached out for him?_ _Because he was her destiny._

Maul looked at her. She was not well. "I've never heard of it, but something tells me that she has," he replied.

"Yes… of course. It's all I've ever heard about since I came to the Jedi temple." Pernilla rested her hand on her brow and looked down.

"It was that holocron, the one containing the secrets of the Force Union that drew you two here. It began resonating slowly years ago, gradually picking up speed until the vibrations made their way to you and set your own Force energies resonating," Timo said.

"So you really think that _this_ is it this time?" A note of desperation filled Pernilla's voice. "Are you saying that _he_… is my destiny?" Pernilla looked away, hiding the tears that came fast with the palm of her hand. She looked at Maul and found it impossible to figure him into her future, assuming that she still had a future with the Jedi. Maul did not know what to do so he spoke to Timo instead.

"Tell me more about the Force Union. What does this mean?"

"The Force Union is the most powerful bond that two Force-adepts can make. The bond cannot be forced. The Force chooses two who will make the union and one member of the pair has to be a Force-assisted telepath. I do believe that Pernilla fulfills that requirement."

"And I am the other half?"

"Yes. The other partner must be very strong with the Force and I do believe that you fit the bill. I don't know what the Force Union entails. It has been 1,000 years since it was last forged. I do understand that the Force Union allows each partner to tap into the skills, perceptions and even the senses of the other far beyond the powers of normal Force-users. You will know what Pernilla knows and she will be able to do what you can do. This power has great potential, as I'm sure you can see."

"I don't want any part of this!" Pernilla burst out as she jumped out of her chair, throwing her glass down. It rolled away on the soft carpet. "I have lived with this nightmare prophecy for my entire life! I have been kidnapped, raped and tortured because of it. I live my life in a glass house, my every breath scrutinized by the Jedi Council. I was betrayed because of all of this! And the Jedi would have me hunted down and killed if they knew anything about it!" She lilted around, resting her back against a bookshelf, laughing sardonically as she slid to the floor. She looked at Maul. "You know this was their greatest fear—that they would lose me to you, to the Sith, that I would be consumed by the Dark Side!"

"I'm sorry," was all Maul could muster as he offered her his hand. To his surprise she took it. When they turned around, Timo was gone.

**Maul** and Pernilla spent the rest of the short day fixing the ship. Timo had everything they needed to completely overhaul the damaged parts. Pernilla worked hard and silently. The tension was thicker than the snowdrifts on Garapin. Maul looked at her with uncertainty. She didn't think they were ready for even the possibility of any sort of relationship, even friendship. Timo had loaned them a small land cruiser and Maul took the controls when they were done with his ship. They could have left, Timo would be none the wiser. Pernilla knew Maul was contemplating that possibility, but they both wanted answers.

They ate another meal with Timo before retiring to a very opulent bedroom, having agreed to spend the night and investigate the holocron in the morning. Timo regretted that he didn't have enough space to offer his guests separate rooms, so Pernilla and Maul shared a large room with a giant floor mattress covered with throw pillows and warm blankets. She had a feeling that this was not an accident, but a test. She was sure that he was watching them now just as he had before. A fire burned cozily in a circular fireplace. She took off her boots and began to unzip her blaster suit. She was still wearing his shirt.

"I'm sorry I couldn't clean it. The blood stains, they-"

Maul caught Pernilla by surprise after they'd fallen silent.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you saved it," she said quietly.

She took off the suit and picked out some blankets and pillows, making herself a little bed close to the fire on the opposite side of the mattress. She heard Maul take off some of his clothes and heard his boots fall to the floor. He settled down, but she looked through the Force and saw that he was staring intently at her back. She feigned sleep for what seemed like hours, turning and shifting relentlessly. It was no use. With all of this going on, there was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight. She rolled over and looked at him.

"You asked me a question earlier," he said, his eyes glowing in the light of the dying fire, his voice a whisper. "You asked me if I had a name."

"Yes… I did." Pernilla shot him a curious look.

"My name is Orin Inanna Khamier." She was very quiet, obviously contemplating a response to his admission.

"You have a very beautiful name. Don't ever forget it, who you _really_ are."

He paused, unsure where the conversation was heading. She looked at him. He wasn't wearing a shirt. The red pattern in his tattoos resumed at his shoulders, in a way similar to hers and traveled down his chest until they were lost in his blankets.

"Can I ask you a question?" Maul spoke quietly.

"Of course."

"You have a tattoo on your neck. It's from Iridonia, right?"

"Yes. A while ago, as part of my training, my Zabrak master decided that I could learn a great deal by completing a _kasvama_ on Iridonia. (A/N: This was the name I gave the coming of age ritual on Iridonia. I made my own back story for the planet to explain the differences between Zabraks like Maul and Eeth Koth. This story features prominently later, so I didn't change it to what is currently accepted as 'cannon.' Koth is the master Pernilla is referring to here.) So he sent me off, little old me, a human female, into the desert with nothing but my bare hands. No one said I could do it, but I did it in fifteen days. That's what the first part says. The second part tells of how I fought the _Uus_ and how they killed me and how two kind _Paritolu_ doctors saved my life (A/N: _Uus_ are the race of Zabrak that look like Koth, _Paritolu_ are those that look like Maul). The last line says that I will always travel with the blessing of Ren Todai…" Maul's brow wrinkled. "He helped me, but he's dead now. There's so much fighting there. War's a way of life."

He paused for a moment and muttered something to himself. _I can't believe it- Fifteen days?!_ He propped himself up on one elbow. "I've done it too, when I was _too _young. It took me 28 days. I wasn't brave or daring. I just survived. That's what mine would have said, but it's covered up now."

"It's very difficult. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"My master has always tested my ability to survive in so many difficult ways."

"Life is full of painful trials. Be it as a slave or Jedi, I always end up learning something. But I have to wonder, what's the cost?"

"Exactly…" He rolled onto his back and laced his fingers behind his head. "So what happens next?"

"I don't know. I just want an answer to a question that's been bothering me all of my life. I want to know what's going to happen to me. I want this all to be over with. I want a boring, normal life. I want things back…" Did she really? She didn't think so. As much as she hated to admit it, this man had so far played a very significant part in her life. There was no going back and she sighed.

"Of course." He paused with a question lingering on his tongue. "Pernilla, I don't mean to offend you, but… I was just wondering… if you… If you'd…"

"If I'd had the vision too?" She smiled, and Maul looked away. There she was doing that telepathic thing again. "Yes. I saw it that first night and I've seen it a thousand times since. And there's more." She paused, afraid to go on, but willing to take a chance. "The next morning, after I saw you for the first time, I met the Jedi and they asked me to come with them. I didn't have much of a choice. I walked down the beach and remembered what I'd seen that night. I saw myself as a Jedi, fighting you so I left with them. It was the Force I was sure, showing me my future." Maul had turned to face Pernilla again. He could barely hear her and had moved closer. She was speaking in a whisper, lost in a thousand memories, dreaming of a moment a million years away and a life lost forever. He was listening intently. She smiled to herself. "How was it with you?"

"I'd seen you in my dreams innumerable times. I was once plagued by the vision, but it soon became familiar and almost... comfortable. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't dreamed and fantasized about fighting you in person, it was that beautiful. Then the vision changed and I saw you a hundred different ways." Pernilla lay on her side, one elbow propping up her head. "Back on the ship I was so frustrated by what I saw and what was happening…The visions had become so… erotic." Pernilla didn't look away from him. She knew what had been happening because she'd seen it too. She wanted to show him that it was okay, that she understood perfectly. He continued. "I just want you to know that I respect you. That I'm not going to-" He was trying to be very proper and polite. Pernilla did not expect him to behave like this. He _shouldn't _be acting like this. Every good Jedi knew that the Sith take anything and everything that they desire. He kept rambling on, desperately trying to communicate. She leaned over and caught his hand as he was gesticulating.

"Orin… it's okay."

His hand was very strong. It felt good to know that it was not on course to hit her face. He was nervous and his palm was slightly damp. He clasped his other hand over hers. Pernilla felt very light headed and giddy. Her heart threatened to jump through her chest. He rubbed her hand gently and held it over his heart. She felt its strong beat and the warmth of his skin was comforting. Pernilla leaned in closer. He squeezed her hand and spoke, "Whatever happens tomorrow…I just wanted to thank you for saving my life and for giving me the best lightsaber fight I've ever had."

Pernilla was so close to him now, lying next to him with her hand on his chest. Their eyes locked. Her free hand fidgeted nervously. She was breathing fast, just waiting for something to happen. Visions passed before her eyes, visions of her with him, of every Force Union that had ever been made, of the past and the future.

"By the gods… What am I doing?" She whispered as she moved in closer.

He was too afraid to move. Pernilla freed her hand for a second and he looked empty. She put it against his smooth face, slowly initiating a timid kiss. Whatever dark façade he presented to the world melted from the inside. His kiss was chaste, but sweet. He held back a flood. The minute their lips met, she saw what he saw and was completely amazed by his willpower and restraint. Being a Sith, she expected him to take her right there on the spot, but that assumption said more about her own Jedi bias. The kiss lasted only a moment before he pulled away.

Pernilla slowly moved back into her pillow. She was so confused. What had just happened? She had kissed the Sith, Darth Maul, formerly known as Orin Inanna Khamier. And she had _enjoyed _it. Did it matter that she had been betrayed? Did that make it okay? All of these questions seemed to vanish in light of the impending resolution to the Force Union question. Pernilla desperately wanted it all to end. She looked at Orin, so peaceful in the darkness. She still felt him on her lips. It was hard to describe what she was feeling for him, but it was stronger now than ever. Now it was her turn to pine away and long for his touch.

(A/N: Why did I change Maul's name? Quick literally analysis… Maul has been traditionally characterized as a tool, a weapon, an assassin. This is reflected in his Sith name, Maul, meaning "to handle or use roughly… to injure by a rough beating." His birth name has often been cited as Khamier Sarin. Sarin is a toxic gas named after the German scientists who created it during WWII. Khamier has no real meaning, but when I first heard it all I could think of was the Khymer Rouge, the Cambodian regime led by Pol Pot that was responsible for genocide. Okay, we get the picture, Maul is not nice. But let's pretend he actually is a three-dimensional character capable of _some_ sort of emotion. That's what I wanted his birth name to reflect. So I chose something a little less nasty—Innana is the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of warfare and sex; Orin just happened to be the name of a street I was walking down one fall day after rain had made a bunch of liquid amber trees' bark black and their leaves were bright red and yellow. Ironically, as a surname in Scotland it refers to one with pale skin. Khamier, being the lesser evil, got to stay.)


	5. Chapter 5- State of the Union

**Chapter 5- State of the Union**

**The** dawn broke and she was gone, like every other woman Maul had ever kicked out of his bed. But he didn't want her to go and he hadn't kicked her out… and she hadn't really _been_ with him. He sat up. She was standing next to a giant window going through the movements of a teräs käsi stretch cycle. He watched her beautiful body move and stretch as he walked up behind her and silently joined in. Maul expected to go through only the first twelve positions, but she turned to him for the remaining three which required a partner. They silently performed the stretches, but this time the silence was comfortable. She had regained her inner peace and so had he. They were ready for whatever Timo would throw at them and whatever implications that would bring. Timo gave them a light breakfast and took them into a small land cruiser for a very fast ride halfway across the planet. Jedi have amazing piloting abilities, but it's not always easy to fly with one.

"We're almost there," Timo said, his black hair blowing around his face. "Did you sleep well? Were you comfortable? I don't often have guests."

"It was great. You have a wonderful place," Pernilla said lightly.

"So this is you third library?" Maul asked. He still wanted to see the Sith holocrons.

"Yes, this is where most of the holocrons are kept and yes, you may look at them later."

He was as bad as Pernilla. They landed in a canopy of trees. The library was built in a massive clump of conifers, what looked like hundreds of trees that had all grown together to form one giant trunk.

"This is a colony of _karas_ trees. They all grow together. Separate organisms, but one unit. They make great buildings." Timo began as he walked into the conifer library. "I am assuming that you both know how to use a holocron?"

"Yes," they spoke together, then looked away. The library was airy and light. The wood smelled of spices and brisk autumn days.

"Well then, follow me."

He used the Force to open several doors. They walked down a long hallway and came to a room that held several holocrons each seated on their own shelf. A mauve colored triangular holocron sat on a lone pedestal under glass, secure from the outside world. When they approached, its light grew stronger and its pulsations quickened.

"Here is the holocron I told you about. The woman who gave it to me told me it was rumored to initiate the Force Union, but that it was useless. No one had been able to access it for centuries. I can't open it. It will only open for the chosen pair." Timo stepped back. "Try your luck."

Pernilla and Maul walked towards the pedestal, bathed in an energetic mauve light.

"Are you ready?" She asked. He nodded as Pernilla took off the glass case and they picked up the small piece of crystal. Maul put his hands over hers. She was shaking so badly he thought she would drop the holocron. Then suddenly, they felt a tingling rush of energy course through their bodies. The holocron was warm and its light was beautiful. Pernilla and Maul closed their eyes and suddenly they were traveling through space and time in a brilliant vision. "Try to focus your thoughts and go with the Force," Pernilla told him softly. He followed her lead and reached out for the secret key in the Force that would unlock the holocron. Most holocrons had a gatekeeper, but this one was different. It seemed as if _they_ were the gatekeepers this time. They found the key at the same time by simply relaxing and connecting with each other and a brilliant flash filled the room. Hundreds of words written in an ancient tongue played upon the room, coursing over the walls and through their bodies. Maul and Pernilla felt every syllable and understood everything, although they did not speak or read the ancient language. It was completely amazing, a total rush of the senses. When the words stopped moving, he looked back at Pernilla. She looked back at him with a happy smile. At last they had an answer.

"Amazing! Simply astonishing!" Timo beamed. "This is completely unexpected! A Sith... and a Jedi."

"Orin, it's just a title," Pernilla said quietly, almost on the verge of tears as if rejection was certain. "It doesn't have to mean anything. I swore to serve the Force and the Force alone."

"I don't care." He loved how she called him by his real name, as if she saw him as a person, not just his master's tool. He loved how she made him question everything he seemed to know. And his name—_Orin_. It helped him forget about their differences, not that he cared that much about them at the moment.

"So what happens now?" Pernilla asked as light rushed through her body and wind from the Force blew her hair out of place.

"I'm going to record everything in the holocron, translate it and save everything. Between the two of you, try to figure out if there's anything that you can unlock through the Force while it's still open." Timo went to work with a data droid.

Maul and Pernilla fell into tandem meditation. He always thought that this would be hard when he'd tried it with his master, but whatever barrier it was that had separated him from Sidious had melted away with Pernilla. They worked as a single mind, searching out everything, finding out what they could. It was amazing. Maul loved the intimacy of it all, how he could see himself through her eyes. It was as if she was a part of him and he a part of her. Things moved faster and stronger and in the end, they found something in their vision. It was a glowing egg, transparent and pulsating like a Gungan's shield. They opened it together, splitting it in two and a soft, sparkling snow fell upon them. As the snow melted into Maul's skin, it formed a connection with a corresponding flake on Pernilla's body. Under this rain of light, the original vision returned, but this time Maul and Pernilla were alone, having sex in a timeless plane. Thousands of light flakes fell and connected them, bringing them closer and closer to climax until the last lone flake fell in the remaining space between them and the vision abruptly ended. They were violently thrust into the real world, knocked over onto an expensive carpet. Timo had finished recording and Maul got up and placed the holocron back on the pedestal. He was exhausted and Pernilla fared little better.

"Are you okay?" Timo asked. They nodded. "I'm going to take you back now and I'll start working on translating the rest of the holocron."

They got back into the cruiser. Pernilla and Maul sat next to each other, in opposite corners of the bench. Despite being exhausted, they felt wonderful, still high from their Forced-induced orgasm. The tie he'd made with Pernilla was stronger than ever and for once in his life he thought he was close to being happy.

**Pernilla** awoke with a jolt. Her neck was stiff and she was disoriented. _Where am I?_ She was surprised to see that she had fallen asleep next to Maul and then it all came back to her. She looked around. The sky car was parked in front of a dwelling similar to their first. She rolled her neck. _So what happens now?_ She felt uncertainty as she had never experienced it before, a pit in her stomach, an impending doom. It was so easy to label her feelings in a negative way, but what scared her the most was the possibility that the future would not be negative at all. And as much as she hated to admit it, she feared the vision as much as Maul did. She remembered their conversation last night and thought about the kiss. It was so sweet and felt so… _right?_ Yes, it felt right. There, she'd thought it. It was out in the open. She had so many questions now that she wanted to ask him about the union, what he saw and how he felt about her.

Maul had also slept peacefully. Pernilla wished him awake and reached out to touch his hand. He awoke with a start and she pulled back. Accepting her feelings was one thing, but actually speaking to an intimidating man, still her sworn enemy, was another. Maul stretched and blinked awake. He looked at her and she saw her own apprehension in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, you were asleep. I must have- shouldn't-" she stammered.

"You fell asleep and I didn't want to move you," said Maul. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. One of Timo's studies, I think. He left us in the car." It was not entirely as uncomfortable or as inhospitable as it sounded. Like all of Timo's things it was quite posh.

"I can't believe what just happened. It was incredible." Maul looked at her. "Why are you so frightened? I'm not going to hurt you."

Pernilla smiled and laughed away her apprehension. She felt like she'd known Maul forever, such was the power of their new bond. Yet now, more than ever she questioned her ties to the Jedi and pondered her sworn duty to them. Not that the recent events had clarified anything.

"Forgive me," she gave him a smile and a flash of her fascinating eyes, "I've been such a fool. It's just now I feel so close to you, like you know everything I'm thinking. But I really don't know you at all. Do you feel that way too?"

"Yes, I feel you so intensely. It's as if I can see myself through your eyes and I look like an idiot."

"Well it's nice to get that out in the open," Pernilla smiled. "Let's get out of here."

Maul jumped out of the car and offered a hand to Pernilla. She took it and their physical contact was nearly too much to bear. Maul dropped her and Pernilla landed clumsily on the pavement.

"By the gods, what happened?!" She sat up, leaning against the sky car, rubbing her scratched palms.

"I have no idea, but I don't think it's supposed to be like that. Forgive me, Pernilla."

Timo heard voices and walked out into the courtyard. "Are you all right?" He ran towards them.

"I just grabbed her hand to help her out…" Maul started.

"And then there was just this, this sensory overload," Pernilla finished, automatically she noticed, as if they had been thinking on the same frequency.

"Oh, my." Timo gave Pernilla a hand up. "Then it's very, very strong."

"What?"

"Your bond. I just finished translating the holocron. There's a section about the relative strength of a pair's bond. The strongest bond will produce intense and overwhelming sensations upon physical contact that can only be tamed with intense mental training."

"That explains things," Maul said as he looked at Timo with intense interest. "So what can we do about it?"

"If you two are not too tired, I can instruct you through a set of meditation routines that will help you get a handle on what you're experiencing."

And thus began the most intense training that Maul and Pernilla would ever know.

**Pernilla** stood upon a log that had been cut in half and waited for Maul to join her. They were playing a school yard game of king of the hill. Clad in teräs käsi uniforms, the log was their hill, but more importantly a training exercise meant to build upon the skills that they had been given through the Force Union. They had already spent a week practicing mental exercises. It was both completely amazing and horribly difficult. They would practice and meditate then one would fail and inevitably storm out of the room. They fought and apologized, each time coming out stronger like a sword being annealed. They had many questions and Timo gave them what few answers he had. Pernilla sat alone near the lake with the waterfalls, meditating and contemplating the moral quandary that was her relationship with the Sith Lord. It was easier than she thought it would be for her to finally decipher her feelings about her betrayal and about Maul. Pernilla was a servant of the Force. It was as clear as the day she'd sat in the orphanage with that fateful volume in her lap. She looked out upon the glassy lake and at this point she knew that that was all she had left, since it had been a week after her 'abduction' and no one had come looking for her or had even ventured a mental probe through the Force to see if she was even alive. Surely, these things were not beyond the reach of her friend and mentor Mace Windu or Master Yoda—and what of Anakin?

It seemed like Maul went through the same period of questioning as Pernilla did, but he had much less to think about. His mind had been hardwired in the ways of the Sith, making it less difficult for him to jump headlong into this Force Union thing on the simple justification that he was pursuing the pleasure principle, although there was far more to their relationship than that. Yet Pernilla knew that for some reason he had been forbidden by his master to ever look upon her again or to even think about her. She had no idea why and she didn't know who his master was, but she could certainly respect Maul's nearly fanatical loyalty to him.

After much work, Maul and Pernilla's bond had grown so strong that whatever powers they each held were almost completely shared. Every day was exhausting and they barely had the energy to say little more than a simple 'good night' at the end of the day, but there were a million things they wanted to talk about and ask each other. Timo had given them their own rooms in his larger house and he'd found some more clothing for Pernilla, but they missed each other. Each shared a longing to feel the other's embrace, yet neither one dared to mention their feelings.

Tandem fighting was one of the last things they had yet to master during their stay on Lamare. It was not unheard of amongst the Jedi. Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan Barriss Offee had mastered the art. Together, they put an impressive defense and amazing simultaneous attack that was accomplished by a unique mental bond. It was this bond that Pernilla and Maul hoped to forge. Naturally, they started with simple hand to hand combat. They ran at each other from opposite ends of the halved log. Pernilla immediately saw what Maul would do and rather unconventionally avoided his grab by flipping over his shoulders. She had been dancing for as long as she'd been fighting. Maul sighed and turned to face her.

"That's not teräs käsi!" he growled under his breath.

"The world's not a teräs käsi match," she countered. "I saw your move before you even got going. It's easier for me to see like that because I'm telepathic. Just jump into my eyes. See what I see." This was the most frustrating part of their training. Her telepathy gave Pernilla an edge over Maul on nearly everything they'd done so far. She wanted him to have it too, but not all of her power existed because of the Force. Maul continuously got frustrated when he didn't make the connection and he tried again.

"You think I am weak. The Sith are not weak! I will show you weak!"

"Orin!" He tackled Pernilla off the log and she landed hard on her back. There was a good four-foot drop between the log and the ground. Pernilla kicked him off of her and tackled him down, one foot menacingly pressed against his throat. She was smarting from the fall and quite angry.

"Orin, listen to me! This is not impossible! Stupid weak Jedi have done this before, now listen!" He was breathing hard and pushing to get up. She pushed against his mind and spoke a bit more gently and candidly. "Listen to me, Orin. I know that I must appear stronger than you in so many different ways, but that is only because I'm a Force-_assisted_ telepath. For you, that means that a good deal of my telepathic ability comes from the Force and can therefore be accessed by you, and a smaller part doesn't. So find that part of me that uses the Force and let it become part of you!"

Maul sat up. "You're right. But it just seems totally blocked off to me. I give up! Let's get back on the log and then come at me with your mind open and I'll try to see it."

It took a few good _traditional_ teräs käsi matches for Maul to figure out what key opened Pernilla's telepathic mind to his and when that happened their fighting was intense and beautiful and mentally as well as physically stimulating. They spent all afternoon fighting on the log before they took their sabers out and began parrying. They took turns with their weapons, offering each other tips and further perfecting their ability to fight as one. When they finished, it was dark. Amongst the trees with their sabers retracted, the night was completely black and strangely silent. The night creatures had not yet emerged. Pernilla saw through the Force and Maul did the same, easily tapping into her ability.

"By the gods, I'm exhausted," she said as she picked up her robe and water bottle.

"I didn't think I'd get that kind of fighting again," Maul remarked as he looked at her back. She smiled and turned towards him. "I'm glad you stopped me on the log. I was getting… frustrated."

"It's understandable."

"But it's so amazing being able to see so well through the Force. I will have to personally thank your Miralukan friend." [A/N: Pernilla had a Miralukan mentor on Tallinn. Miralukans are blind and can see using the Force.]

"Someday, perhaps," she said rather flippantly. Maul moved closer to her. All of her longing and desire for him returned. It clouded her vision. Pernilla's lightsaber drooped in one arm and she grabbed her shoulder with her free hand. She sighed and looked away.

"What are you thinking?" Maul asked.

"You can't tell me after all of this?" The air was cooling and she shivered.

"I just want to hear it from you."

She was pinned. After all of this she had nowhere to hide, no more lies or excuses.

"I want you," she said, nearly inaudible. "I want you as I have wanted no other. Your mind is my mind. We are so close, yet so far apart. I don't ever want to leave you." _There, it was out._ She continued, "But I'm afraid, afraid of… _loving_… you. There, I said it. I swore to you Orin Inanna Khamier that I would never lie to you."

Maul swooped in as the words had just barely passed her lips, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her into a lusty, heartfelt kiss. She met his tongue and bit his lips and dug her fingers into his back as he squeezed her breasts and kissed her neck. She could feel what he was feeling, the slight sting of her nails in his back and his desire, pressing against his pants and hers. The sensations were so intense that she nearly lost track of reality. And then they heard a noise and both drew their sabers. It was a sky car coming towards them.

"Oh, by the gods! It's Timo," she said. Would they ever get a moment? Maul looked at her.

"I just want you to know that I'm _not_ afraid of loving you," said Maul under his breath.

Pernilla's body quivered and her head was faint. She couldn't believe what he just said. _I'm not afraid of loving you._ Did that mean he loved her then? She put her other hand on her saber so he wouldn't see her shaking. Timo was not close enough to see them. It seemed that in losing her place with the Jedi that she had gained something immensely more valuable. Maul retracted his blades and put his hand over hers, gently deactivating her blade. They were blinded by the lights of Timo's skycar. Maul kept his hand over hers and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"The answer to your question is... _yes_."

**Timo** gave Maul and Pernilla a ride back to his home. He was very happy with their progress and had nothing more planned for their training. They planned on leaving the next day. In his time with the young Jedi and her Sith companion, he had been a mentor and a teacher but was increasingly experiencing feelings more appropriate to a parent. He knew that most Force Unions resulted in some sort of romantic involvement out of the sheer intimacy it created, and after he'd seen Maul and Pernilla kiss that first night he was sure they were heading down that same path… But he wasn't a parent or even a master. He was simply a facilitator in their journey and it was not his place to make judgments, although Timo sensed that theirs was a star-crossed affair. It wasn't because of the Sith and Jedi juxtaposition, but rather something more mundane—family. And with two orphans, this would be a mystery that would not resolve itself easily. Time, he knew would only tell.

**The** ride out to the _Scimitar _ was quick and silent. Timo bowed and left with few words and promises from Maul and Pernilla to return for more training. They looked inside and then looked at each other, both a bit nervous and uncertain.

"I suppose that this can't last forever," Pernilla said, every moment remembering that she would have to return to Coruscant and face the Jedi Council.

"It won't last, but we won't soon forget it either."

The sleek black form of the _Scimitar _ rose above the trees of Lamare and sped into the wilds of space. Maul piloted the ship out to the edge of the system and prepared it for hyperspace. His hand hovered just above the control when Pernilla jumped out of her seat.

"I don't want to go back!"

Maul looked at her. "No one said we have to leave right now." He stood up and his face was so close to hers that she felt his breath against her chin. And her feelings of desire and frustration returned.

_I want Orin as I have wanted no other before. I feel his mind around me all of the time. We're so close and yet so far apart. I want to feel his arms around me, feel him inside of me… _His face was next to hers and she could feel him breathing on her cheek, on her neck, every movement making her more aroused. Pernilla turned around and met his lips full on, her hands running over his face, around his head and his horns.

"By the gods, I will have you now!" Maul declared with a playful air. He picked her up and headed out to his bed. He stopped in the doorway and looked down into Pernilla's eyes and even deeper into her spirit. "I am not afraid of loving you and I will say it now as I longed to in the forest; I love you!" His comment lingered in the air and she was weak once more. "And before I take you any further, because we have this special bond and I _have_ to know-"

"I love you Orin!" She pushed herself out of his arms and turned around to kiss him, deep and true and full of meaning as only two people irrevocably connected by fate could understand. It was a revelation to the both of them. He looked at her for a second, her hair disheveled and her outer teräs käsi robes hastily discarded. Maul picked her up again and walked towards his quarters.

"I don't think this would be a proper ravishing if I didn't throw you down upon my bed!" She laughed as he threw her down into his sheets, the last barrier between them finally destroyed.

"I very much like your sense of humor!" Pernilla said as she grinned deviously.


	6. Chapter 6- All Conquering Love

**Chapter 6- All Conquering Love**

**"It's **hard to believe that there could be anything better than this," Maul said as he ran his hands over her back. "It's amazing. I can feel everything that you're feeling." He stopped and tilted his chin up to hers, "And the most amazing thing that I feel," he kissed her—he couldn't help himself, "is love, from you and for you." Pernilla smiled at their mutual feelings. "I have never… felt that before. I don't know if I'm doing it right."

"Is there a right way?" Pernilla asked, suddenly perplexed at his admission and the idea that someone had never known affection.

Maul wrapped her in his large arms and they fell over onto the bed. They never tired of the sensations brought on by kissing and soon everything felt comfortable and familiar and good. Maul let out a sigh of immense pleasure and pulled away her pants and dainty panties, sexy and expensive, certainly not Jedi issue. He loved her elegant sense of style, how she seemed never to conform to anything Jedi. She was something else. He loved the tattoos that circled her perfect legs. Yes, she was a true _hetaera_ and had undergone all manner of beauty treatments and her training had given her a perfectly… _deadly_ body. She was stunning. He looked into her eyes and wanted nothing more than to please her. The best part of it all was that he felt what she was feeling and he knew how much she enjoyed his touch. And then she sat up and liberated him from his trousers, staring up at his naked body in complete awe as he stood in front of her. Maul forgot that most people were not accustomed to seeing his tattoos. And he would wager a thousand credits that she wouldn't have guessed that he had been tattooed _everywhere._

"Oh my," she cooed, "you really are a _brave_ soul."

Maul glided on top of her. She was quite tan, but she paled against his dark skin. And all he wanted to do right now was to worship her beauty, her body, her soul. _Come to me_, she thought. Her wish was his command and he waited a second on the brink before pushing himself completely inside of her. It was pain and ecstasy at the same time. He had to stop himself as she gasped sharply, her eyes watering. It felt strange for him to think of someone _other_ than himself. She pressed him against her chest and made him understand that she was okay and when his own fear and embarrassment disappeared, he felt godly with Pernilla. Maul kissed her and propped himself on his elbows, looking deep into her eyes. Ever so slowly they found a pleasing rhythm, and their union grew hot and heady.

Maul sat up and she sat up with him. Sensing his intentions, she wrapped her arms around him as he grabbed her and stood up without missing a beat. He pushed her back against the bulkhead and everything was dizzy with pleasure. They moaned and gasped and pushed against each other.

"Orin, _the vision at last!_"

He stopped for a second and didn't even think. "Finally!"

He held Pernilla one last time before the world exploded around both of them and the world stopped for what seemed like eternity. She caught him with her ultramarine eyes. Her fingers were wrapped around his horns and everything was spinning. In that moment they felt each other's rhythm and flow and their bond was forged forever throughout their bodies and minds. Electricity from the Force itself coursed from Maul's head to his feet, through his body to hers. She kissed him and a great spark completed the circuit. The last pulse was too much to bear. Maul collapsed against Pernilla's chest.

"By the gods, you're amazing," was all he could muster. He carried Pernilla into his bed and they slept together. He held her hand and she rested her legs against his. A new understanding, a deeper level of bonding had just been reached. Maul was desperately in love with Pernilla. Had he ever loved anything in his life? He swore he'd never leave her, or hurt her or let anyone else hurt her. He slept peacefully wrapped in her arms.

**When** she awoke Pernilla swore she'd had the most amazing dream. But she blinked her eyes a few times and realized that for once in her life, sex had not been part of a dream or someone else's vision. Maul was lying next to her, sleeping soundly. He was amazing. It was awkward in the beginning, but it got much better as they went along and began to understand each other so well that it made the universe explode. Now their bond was complete. There were no more barriers. She laid back and thought about it all. Her rabid appetite had been satisfied, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Maul and return to the Jedi. She would rather give herself over to the Sith. Pernilla touched Maul's red and black cheeks before kissing them gently. He woke up and smiled when he saw her leaning over him. He drew her into an awesome kiss that turned into many kisses and threatened to ignite the fire all over again. After a while she pulled back with sorrow in her eyes.

"I have to go back," Pernilla said on the verge of tears. "I have much unfinished business."

"I understand. I am to meet my master in four days on Coruscant as well. The message was waiting when we took off."

"I don't want to leave you." She saw no happy ending to this dilemma.

"Then don't."

"What are you talking about? The Jedi will come for me eventually."

"Pernilla, I don't ever want to be without you but we have our own very separate lives. I don't know how we're going to deal with that or what's going to happen when we get back to Coruscant. But maybe after all there's something we could..." Maul grew quiet and rather nervous. "It's rather mundane after all of this, and perhaps it's old fashioned and you wouldn't want to, but—"

"What is it Orin? Don't make me pry it from your thick skull!" She joked.

"Marry me." A shot in the dark. They say love and fear are biologically indistinguishable. Fight or flight?

"Are you out of your mind?!" _Was he out of his mind?_ He wondered. Maul had never been loved before and therefore, he didn't know how to love someone. But he was sure that he loved her because not only did he want to make love to her all the time, but he wanted to be with her. And be _like_ her. Ever since her challenge on Lamare, Pernilla had become something more to him than just a lay or a fight—she had become a beacon of hope, hope that he could be more than his master's weapon, a man in his own right and master of his own destiny be it becoming a true Sith master or something else.

"No!" Maul decided. "I am not out of my mind. I _love_ you. We already share a one-in-a-million bond, so why not? Marry me, Pernilla Antilles. I know you feel the same way about me. I'd sense it if you did not."

Pernilla just sat there and stared into Maul's fiery eyes. One of her dreams was finally ready to be lived. At that very moment their spirits were one. She felt calm and happy. Pernilla should say no, as a _hetaera_, as a Jedi, as a successful businesswoman… and she didn't need trouble, especially his kind of trouble. But who said she had to be rational or logical after her world had been tossed upside down? Besides, Pernilla had a heart and that heart had belonged to _Orin Inanna Khamier _from the moment she'd laid eyes on him. He'd said that he'd respected her from the moment they'd begun fighting. And that's how her love for him began—born out of respect that became understanding that paved the way for the Force Union and subsequent passion. Most couples would be lucky just to experience a slice of what they'd had in the short time they'd known each other. Her heart had picked its answer, and Maul waited nervously.

"Ask me again, Orin."

"Allright. Pernilla Antilles will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

**Water**. Warm water, everywhere it was not intended to be. Pernilla laughed as her fiancé tried to wash her hair in his tiny shower. It was crowded when one was alone, and two was too many. And Maul didn't have much experience with hair washing at all.

"Stop squriming away from me!"

"There's nowhere to go!" Pernilla laughed harder. She felt him grasp her arms and pull her into the warm stream. She closed her eyes as the water whisked the soap away. Soon she felt his chest against her back and his arms around her chest, his horns resting against her head.

"I've got you now. You're trapped," he whispered into her ear and bit it gently.

_Water supply terminally low. Shower services terminate in 30 seconds_.

"You're ship, it's talking to us?"

Pernilla turned around. Maul had barely heard the warning. The _Scimitar _had its own water reclamation and reheating cycle, he remembered, but who thought to turn such things on when Pernilla was around?

"Oh, it's nothing."

And then the water turned ice cold before it stopped completely sending two frigid bodies rushing out of the shower.

"That was a very cold nothing!" Pernilla smiled as she dried off with Maul.

When they were dry and clothed, Maul sat in his big chair, paused and looked at Pernilla, perched on the edge of the control board her bare foot running up and down his leg. She knew what he was thinking and understood that they didn't have much time. She'd have to be direct.

"I think we should go to Tallinn." Pernilla's eyes sparkled as she spoke of her home. "I'd love to get married there."

"How would we get in? Security is tighter than a Hutt's purse."

"Orin, I _own_ that planet. And the system and the trade routes that pass through it, and several mining and trade operations…"

"You're kidding me right?"

"No. I am completely serious. I am one of the richest people in the galaxy." Maul looked into her dark eyes incredulously. "Let me show you." Pernilla took his hands in hers and gave Maul a whirl wind tour of her early life, sharing her mind with his as she had once done with her clients. It played out in his mind like a holonet drama at ten times the normal speed. His eyes were wide and his head whirled. Pernilla had always been able to do this with others and the Jedi had perfected this skill. It was sheer brutal telepathy that would send any non-Force sensitive into a blackout. Maul saw her arrival on Tallinn, her work as a servant in the Terav Pilk, her debut as a _hetaera_ and how she had made millions by reviving old memories. He was impressed with her resourcefulness and bravery, but was utterly speechless when it was all over. Maul had a migraine and he fell back into his chair.

"Oh gods, Orin I'm so sorry!"

Pernilla rushed forward and kissed him softly. Her kiss was an elixir to her overload. She was well versed in the more subtle Jedi arts of healing.

"It's okay. It's just- I've never experienced anything like that, except for the first time we met."

"I'm sorry."

"No, that was amazing. You're a very intelligent person and I can't believe that you've acquired all of that and managed to fly it all under the Jedi's radar." Maul's sly smile was back.

"Their orders were to take me in at any cost. Keeping it all was my first condition."

"What was your second?"

"That I serve the Force and the Force alone. I have no loyalties save to the Force itself. That one was a little problematic."

"I see. How did that work out?"

"It was a marriage at blaster point. They probably would have killed me if I refused."

Maul nodded. He had up to this point always assumed that his fiancée was loyal to the Jedi down to her core, but he had now seen and understood that she had a very strained relationship with the order. And he conceded it was most likely her open mindedness that landed her with him, for certainly any other Jedi would kill herself before she'd sleep with her mortal enemy, let alone agree to marry him, vision or no vision. No, Pernilla Antilles was a very special woman indeed. Pernilla leaned against the console again and Maul took her hand. She was looking inside herself and lost in another place, but his touch brought her back. "Pernilla, I think that Tallinn would be a wonderful place to get married." She smiled and kissed the top of his hand.

**Maul** stood in front of a natural amphitheater made from the strange _hajo_ trees, their red veins giving off an eerie pink glow and their bioluminescent leaves glowing blue. He was ready now, not really nervous just ready. Pernilla was already inside and when she was ready, she called Maul to come in. He saw a lagoon of clear turquoise water with a dais in the center. Pernilla waited on the other side. She waved her hand and a bridge extended and they began walking towards each other. Maul was taken aback by Pernilla's beauty. She walked down the bridge in a gorgeous purple gown, her skirt an ocean of silk and embellishments that changed colors as she walked, bright violet to royal purple to black. But the beauty of the amphitheater and of the dress was nothing compared to her. In his eyes, she was amazing, her warm skin was radiant, her eyes were smoky and her lips deep red. She wore a necklace with a large diamond that was neither silver or gold, but both colors. Her hair was tied into two large braids at the back of her head that trailed down her back. She had jeweled sprays worked into her hair, along with ribbons and strings of beads and pearls. Maul could hear the metal strands in her headdress clink as she walked. Her breasts pushed against her bodice as she walked towards Maul, framed in a flurry of glowing leaves and he nearly died. Maul stood strong and confident. He wore a suit with a high collar and classic lines. She had ordered it when she sensed he wished he's had something nicer to wear than his Sith robes. There was a look of contentment in his face and Pernilla smiled back immediately picking up his feelings. When they met in the center, he took Pernilla's hands and kissed them.

"You make a stunning bride."

"And you're a gorgeous groom."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Pernilla took her own very special holocron and opened it with her mind. A client had given it to her. Someday he said she'd meet the right man. She didn't know what he meant until years later, when she learned how to use holocrons. Orin was quite surprised to see another holocron. It bathed them in a soothing white light. They held hands and listened to the ceremony through the Force. Not a sound was uttered.

_Love exists as the most pure manifestation of the Force. Extending beyond the restraints of time and space, Love is attended by its siblings, Respect and Compassion. When one loves through the Force one must always care for and respect their mate. Do you love and respect your mate?_

"I think we're supposed to answer," Maul suggested.

"Of course," Pernilla said as she looked into his eyes. "Yes, I love and respect this man, Orin Inanna Kahmier."

"Yes, I love respect this woman, Pernilla Petrona Antilles." She swore he'd never figure out her middle name, but smiled as he picked it out of her giddy head.

_Your love will encounter and create many obstacles as it runs its course. Throughout these trials do you pledge to always show respect and compassion towards your mate and to always be open and honest with them?_

"Yes, I do." They answered in unison.

_To test your promise and resolve, each partner must offer the other complete disclosure. Relax, the Force will guide you and the process will begin._

They were suddenly nervous about this part. Just what exactly was going to be disclosed? The process happened simultaneously. The story of their romantic lives played out in each other's minds at the prompting of the holocron and the Force. Pernilla knew what Maul was. She knew he had an appetite, but she didn't care. She saw the women on Dathomir, the endless debutants, wives, daughters. _He's a man, a Sith Lord to boot_, she thought. Maul saw everything in Pernnilla's life, Antilles, Dax, Ren, her girlfriends, the captain. They had no time to think about it.

_If either partner has any objections to anything you have just seen, voice them now. Do either one of you object? _

"No."

_Through Love, Strength, Respect and Compassion your marriage bond will grow. Use these tools wisely. Let the Force guide you through life and love._

The small power of the holocron showed them a hopelessly simplistic future that they both wanted to pretend was actually possible as they stood together bathed in the light of the _hajo_ trees.

_Mix your blood now as you shall mix the blood of your children. Wrap your wounds and forever cherish each other's life force._

Pernilla had accessed the holocron before and had come prepared with a teräs käsi dagger. She interlaced her fingers through Maul's and slipped the dagger in between their palms. With a quick motion, she pulled the knife away and their hands bled together. They held hands until blood dripped onto the pedestal, then Pernilla staunched the bleeding with a silk handkerchief. She looked at Maul with a twinge of sadness, knowing that their life force would never mix in the blood of their children. It was genetically impossible for a human and a Zabrak to have a child. (A/N: I know, I know. This logic goes against Maul's new background. Suspend your disbelief. You can't have your cake and eat it, too!)

_From this moment forward two bodies become one; two souls unite, a bond is forged through Love and through the Force. Strive to know each other better each day. Treasure each moment, for the life of a Jedi is filled with hardship and danger. If you are pure of heart, mind and conscious at this moment, say 'yes.'_

"Yes," They answered together, although Pernilla cringed upon hearing _Jedi_.

_Then go forth into the world as partners, from this day forward, united forever through love and the Force._

Maul kissed Pernilla deeply, for a long time as tears fell from her eyes. Whether or not she cried out of joy or sadness, neither one of them knew. When they opened their eyes, the holocron was dark. They embraced as the beautiful petals from the trees above fell around them and Pernilla rested her head against Maul's chest, listening to his heart.


	7. Chapter 7- Homeward Bound

**Chapter 7- Homeward Bound**

**The** skies over Coruscant were violet and orange in the mists of a murky autumn storm. The sun was setting quickly and hushed voices echoed between durasteel passageways left unusually empty after the rain. High above the city's main passageways Anakin Skywalker looked out into the deep clouds and wondered if it was even worth it to mention his feelings to Obi-Wan. He had felt it again, the disturbance in the Force, the tiny current that went against the flow of what he knew of the Force so far. If Pernilla were here, he'd talk to her. She knew exactly what he was talking about and would probably show him how to see and appreciate these idiosyncrasies in the Force. But Anakin was uncertain. He feared the Dark Side and at times worried that Pernilla knew too much about it, but after his last assignment maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. He stepped inside one of the Jedi temple's meditation chambers, pulled the hood of his cloak away from his face and slipped his arms out of the garment, beads of water still clinging to its woolen surface after the rain had gone. He removed his shoes and took a seat next to his master, whose face was blank and peaceful in meditation.

"Good evening Master Obi-Wan."

"Hello, Anakin. Come and meditate. I sense much turbulence in your thoughts."

"Yes master, I've felt it again—a disturbance in the Force, exactly what I felt around Garapin when I went out in the cruiser."

"I, too feel as if something is not... right. I can't say exactly what, but something's not right."

"I told Pernilla about it. I saw her at the transfer station before she went to Garapin." Anakin turned away from the cityscape and looked directly at Obi-Wan. "I tried to raise her station, but there was no response. She knows about this, I'm sure of it. They say she's dead."

Obi-Wan looked at his Padawan, once again feeling that he had been outsmarted. When it came to sensing minute fluctuations in the Force, he and the rest of the Jedi couldn't come close to Anakin and Pernilla. Obi-Wan had remembered seeing the girl that day, blond and black tresses tied neatly, Jedi-like even, so unusual for her. She was calm, rested and going to patrol a small planet called Garapin and its surroundings. She carried only a small suitcase and a cloth bag filled with books. But she hadn't seen him and he was glad of it. He sensed a disturbance in the Force, and suddenly felt that they were all on the verge of something, a drastic change perhaps? He couldn't make sense of his feelings then and he couldn't sort them out now. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was fishing for answers, for things he might have heard at a meeting of the Council, rumors, anything about his friend.

"I don't know what's going on, Anakin," Obi-Wan said frankly. "But you are welcome to come with me to the general Council meeting tonight and see for yourself."

**Pernilla** stood next to her new husband as he deftly piloted the _Scimitar_ through the upper atmosphere of Coruscant, saying nothing, completely unwilling to give up the happiness she'd experienced during the past weeks. Maul took her hand as his ship touched down on the roof of a long-abandoned tenement. They had agreed to part ways here, away from the scrutiny of the upper levels. It was for their own safety, they agreed somewhat half-heartedly. They were more than capable of defending themselves. But Maul and Pernilla were far from alone now, cast back into the hustle and flow of the galaxy where any discovery of their relationship would have terrible consequences for themselves and the universe at large. The view screen of Maul's ship showed a gloomy picture. It was raining and the sun had nearly set. Pernilla slipped her arms into the dirty sleeves of her blaster-proof suit, still stained with her blood and singed from the explosion. Maul pulled up the zipper then stopped to run his fingers tenderly around to the back of her neck. They did not speak of meeting again, nor did they know if they ever would. If it was possible, they would know through their bond. Until then, they would wait.

**The** hatch of the _Scimitar_ opened like a gaping maw and they watched the rain, coming in sheets now. Maul sensed a great wave of apprehension pass through his wife's mind and suddenly he wished that he could take revenge for her and kill the Jedi who'd betrayed her... no it was more than that, the one who had completely _violated _her. When his feelings passed, Maul conceded that this was Pernilla's fight and that she deserved the right to claim her own revenge. But this was no time to contemplate revenge.

"I have to go, Orin." Pernilla's eyes were dark. "The Council... I can sense it... there's a meeting."

"Let me walk you out." Pernilla would have argued that he had no need to go out into the rain, but she knew it was hopeless. She took his arm and they walked out into the roof. Her suit was quickly soaked through and it clung to her body and she tried to ward off a shiver, whether it was from the cold or her anger, she did not know. She turned and kissed him farewell. They moved apart and Maul reached inside his cloak.

"Don't forget this. I know you'll be needing it." Pernilla put her hand around her lightsaber, running her fingers along its length until she met Maul's hand. And then everything let loose. Pernilla dropped her light saber and threw her arms around his neck and they kissed wildly, passionately diving into each other's memories of their most intimate moments.

"Thank you so much, Orin, for everything. I love you and remember that we will always be together through the Force."

There was another kiss before Pernilla watched her husband walk back into his ship and pilot its great black hulk through the night sky. When it was gone, she stood on a rooftop in a Coruscant slum, completely alone. The silence seemed deafening. Pernilla reached down to pick up her lightsaber. As she held it in her hand, the reality of her situation returned. Her husband was gone, she was betrayed, the Council meeting would soon begin and she was stuck on a roof top in the slums of Coruscant in the pouring rain.

_I screamed into the night rain, out of anger and frustration. I will have my revenge and I don't give a damn if it's not becoming of a Jedi. I would show them all that I was alive, that they'd have to extend a lot more effort to see me dead. I ran to the edge of the building, spotted an empty sky car in front of a spice den and jumped. Eight stories and a graceful landing. I stole the car and headed towards the Jedi Temple, driving recklessly, yet guided by the Force._

**Members** of the Jedi Council filed into the Council's chambers, the warm stone a welcome change from the nasty weather outside which was the small talk of the day. Anakin stood next to a girder and a giant window. With his hood up, he was barely noticed. Aayala Secura stood close to him wearing a jacket for once, the weather forcing her to change her habit. The space around him was quickly filled by other Jedi. None of the senior members of the council had arrived yet and the chamber resonated with nervous chatter. It seemed that war was coming and rumor had it that Pernilla Antilles had been the first casualty.

When Pernilla reached the upper levels of Coruscant, she'd picked up two traffic droids, sirens blaring and lights flashing. She looked behind her and sent a shock wave through the Force with her free hand, sending the two droids on a collision course with each other. They crashed with a great bang and quickly fell away. She pressed on, her mind and vision becoming more clear, each moment hardening her resolve. The rain stung her face and eyes, but she felt next to nothing at all.

The senior members of the Jedi Council arrived after a closed meeting of their own. Their faces were drawn and tired. Every day the Republic moved closer to war, and that was their unfortunate announcement tonight. There was really no need to bring to light Anakin's feelings or the Pernilla question. That was confidential. No need to frighten everybody. With a long sigh, Mace Windu opened the meeting.

About a mile away from the Temple, the sky car's engines gave out. Pernilla crash landed on a long ferrocrete promenade, sparks flying off the small craft's hull. She jumped out before the car stopped moving, light saber in hand, running through the empty streets, hurdling over things in her way, full of the Force and nervous energy. She stopped to catch her breath in the Temple lobby, eliciting stares and hushed whispers from those around her. She paused, then walked calmly into a turbo lift and rode up to the Council chambers.

Anakin knew something was going on. The senior Council members were talking a lot, but not really saying anything. But it was more than that. He felt something coming towards him, something at once strange and familiar. It made him uneasy and he shifted his weight nervously as the meeting drew on. He looked around at the others' faces and suddenly, he realized that he was not alone in his feelings.

Pernilla collected her thoughts in the turbo lift as the rain water collected in pools around her feet and dripped off her hair. _What should I say? What should I do?_ She wished that things were simple, that she could live out Maul's revenge fantasies, but the truth was that things weren't simple. She didn't know the extent of her betrayal or who else was involved. She needed more time, more information. But she barely had time to think about anything else. The turbolift stopped and Pernilla walked out, pushing the solid wooden doors of the chamber open with the Force.

**Silence**. Pernilla stood tall as she walked into the center of the Jedi Council Chambers, wet and dirty, blood stains running over the top of her blaster-proof suit staining it a rusty red. She walked slowly, making sure that everyone got a good look at her, saw that she was still very much alive. She scanned the crowd and to her delight she spotted Dax Fyrestar and Logan Elena. She caught their eyes and held their glances. _I said nothing. I thought nothing. I just looked at Logan and Dax and watched them blanch before me. They knew at that moment they were dead men. _And then she looked at the Council and saw that many were quite happy to see her alive. Of course she still had her enemies, but things were not as bad as she had initially thought.

_Pernilla. _It came to her as a thought and she turned around slowly. _Anakin! _She sighed in relief and was very happy to see him. When the shock of her arrival subsided, Master Yoda spoke.

"Surprised, but happy to see you are we."

"As I am to be here, Master." She bowed her head in respect and then everything became clear.

"How feel you?"

"Wet and cold sir. I just arrived on a merchant's ship."

Mace Windu looked relieved. "What happened to you? Perhaps your story can help us understand the deteriorating situation here," he asked.

"Well, as you know, I was assigned to patrol Garapin. I met up with Logan Elena," she sent a look his way, "and we proceeded to complete a sweep of the planet's refinery. We split up and I headed towards the main refinery complex where I engaged..." she paused and let out a sad sigh at the irony of that statement, "the Sith." There was a sudden gasp of surprise. Many people hadn't believed that the Sith had returned the first time. She continued, "I have many reasons to believe that the man I fought was the same man who killed Qui-Gon Jinn." She saw Obi-Wan take in a sharp breath. "The first being that he took responsibility for it, the second being his physical appearance and his unique weapon and the third being that I read it in his mind. His power with the Force has grown as have his fighting skills. We fought for a long time, up until the explosion. I am very glad that he did not get to the others." She had to say something, but she couldn't betray her husband. She hid her thoughts. They would never understand how amazing it was to fight him, how they respected each other, how arousing it was.

"What happened during the explosion?" Windu asked.

"The bomb seemed to have been set up by the Separatists. There was hardly enough time to escape. I took a hard landing and when I looked up again, I saw the Sith leaving in his ship. It was at that time that I noticed my patrol ship had gone to engage the other ship, but the Sith's ship was gone. The weather was terrible and the others were unable to rescue me at the time. With the threat of the Sith, they had their hands full. I was able to find a way back on a maintenance ship that had come to assess the damage to the refinery. I was not seriously injured, nor was I stranded for long. It did, however, take some time to return to Coruscant."

"Brave you were, commendable your actions are," Yoda pronounced. "Assess the Sith we must. Learn what we can. What know you of this warrior?"

"I remember that there was a question as to whether this man was the master or the apprentice. He is the apprentice."

"How do you know this?" Asked Ki-Adi Mundi, his fingertips touching each other as he sat deep in thought.

"He threatened to take me to his master."

"To what end?" Mundi prodded.

"To determine the strength of the Jedi."

"And what did you say to him?"

"Nothing. He simply threw threats at me. I closed my mind and tried to pry information from his. It wasn't easy during the fight."

"Ofcourse_ not_," Windu cut off the questions. He sensed her complete exhaustion and everyone could see her shivering and wet. Despite her condition, Pernilla was quite happy to see Dax and Logan so frightened. Their time was coming. Windu continued, "Thank you Pernilla. I look forward to reading your report."

"You're welcome. It is my duty, sir to protect against the Sith. Thank you, council members." Pernilla bowed and walked back to her suite, sending Anakin a mental _we need to talk_ note as she closed the doors behind her.

**Maul** didn't want to leave his wife like that, in the ghetto of Coruscant soaking wet in the rain. But it went deeper than that. _She is in great danger, I can feel it. I can only hope that our bond is strong enough so that she can experience this feeling, too despite the distance between us._ Things like that had been so easy when they were together. Timo had said that great distances would have little effect on their bond, so strong was the connection. But they had more than just the Force Union, they were in love and full of conflicting emotions. _I could still sense Pernilla as I landed the _Scimitar_in my master's hangar, yet when I left her on that rooftop; I left a piece of myself. Love is not easy. It's not straightforward like the bond. Perhaps that is why we are forbidden to love. I took a moment to compose myself before reporting to my master, a whole night early. A night I could have spent with her. But I couldn't think about it now._

Maul ran into Dooku before he saw his master. He shot Maul a smug look.

"Good evening, Lord Maul. I see you've been out on a few uneventful patrols. It must be terribly... boring out there."

"If you'd call fighting Jedi boring, then I suppose it was." He shut up and Maul walked past him and towards his master's study. He stopped before the door, suddenly struck with a terrible thought. _You need not concern yourself with that girl again..._ He pushed the thought aside and walked into the study. Sidious sat in his big oval chair looking out into the gloom.

"Lord Maul, pleasantly early. You're looking well. Did you enjoy fighting the Jedi girl?"

"Yes, of course master."

"Hopefully you will soon encounter a few more _challenging _targets."

"Of course master, I look forward to killing another Jedi. She however, was not a disappointment."

"Good, good. So what do you know about a planet called Geonosis?"

"It's a dry, hot place populated by an insect-like people that are producing weapons for us, or more precisely for the Trade Federation and the now defunct Damask Holdings."

"Yes indeed. Inside this facility, however, is a most precious weapon, more powerful than anything ever conceived in this galaxy." Maul listened intently to his master's delight. "We have yet to build this weapon, but the plans are being held on Geonosis and I have employed many in its development. But as you can imagine, this must be kept a highly secretive operation."

"Of course master."

"I need you Lord Maul, to oversee the security of this project. There are several people who know too much and have become a threat. Your first mission will be to eliminate these threats. Your next mission will be to find me a suitable base from which I can build a prototype of this weapon, and others like it. Here is a list of the requirements for the testing grounds and a list of security threats. You may begin this assignment at your discretion, as soon as you are ready."

"Thank you, master. I will begin at once."

"You are a very strong and obedient apprentice."

Maul bowed his head at his rare compliment and crossed the courtyard to his suite, his master's long list in his hands. Another endless mission. _How long would it be before I could see her again? And how silly of me to think that she wouldn't have anything else to do, that she wouldn't be sent on her own mission? Of course she would. She's Jedi elite. I threw off my damp clothes and took a shower, trying my best to put my mind at ease. I reached out to her and to my surprise... she reached back._

**Pernilla** sat in her large bath tub, tired, her thoughts tumultuous. She kept thinking about her husband. Then she looked at the rings he'd given to her after they'd wed. He'd said that it would always remind her of him. It was true. Wedding bands were common in many cultures. She took off the rings, rearranged the bands and looked closer at the small stones—were they glowing? She moved one of the rings around, heard a click and a light flashed. Looking into the ring, she saw nothing but a light, but looking up she saw a holographic picture! The ring was a tiny holoprojector. She smiled and turned the ring and saw another picture, and another. _Maul, you are a very thoughtful man, indeed!_

It was at that moment that Pernilla felt Maul's presence in her mind. He was reaching out to her, asking her if she was well, how had the Jedi Council treated her? She smiled. _It all played out better than I could have imagined, my love, better than I could have hoped._ Pernilla sighed and slipped further into her bath… As she moved in the warm bath, was it her imagination or could she feel her husband's strong hands under the soapy water?


	8. Chapter 8- Firestarter

**Chapter 8- Fire Starter**

**Dax** Fyrestar ran through the foggy Coruscant night, a wounded, helpless tauntaun cornered by a wampa. His spindly legs slipped and faltered through the puddles and trash that littered the wide sky walk. _She will kill me, she will kill us both._ He had no regrets for his actions. No, taking Pernilla so many years ago had been sweet indeed and he would take the memory of her supple young flesh to the spirit plane. He had felt so powerful standing above her, she unable to resist, her mind receptive to his probing. Dax took her and was intoxicated with power, opening his mind to the pleasures of the Dark Side. But the power of the Dark Side did not speak to him as he had hoped. Dax was weak, unworthy. He had overestimated his talents with the Force and now he would pay.

He thought back to Pernilla sopping wet, her blaster suit clinging to her breasts, her piercing blue eyes and pale lips. Why did she lie? How did she know what he'd told them? What was going through her head? He coughed and wheezed as he ran towards Elena's apartment, Pernilla's sudden appearance playing over and over in his mind. In the unusually silent night, Dax swore he could hear footsteps behind him and he glanced over his shoulder.

Dax tripped suddenly, his foot slamming against the lip of a curb. The rest of his body followed in a resounding crash. He was tired, he was unfocused but he quickly rolled over and ignited the green blade of his lightsaber. He slashed out at the air, at the woman who was and was not there, fueling his paranoia without saying a word. Dax looked out and saw nothing but an empty street. He retracted his lightsaber and touched a cut on his cheek. His wrists were sore and he stood up, disgusted with himself. He was stronger than this. Dax Fyrestar would not be the victim of petty mind tricks and paranoia. He spat at the ground and at her filthy name and continued on his way.

**The** rising sun burned off the lingering fog and the brilliant Coruscant morning destroyed any memories of the dismal night. The planet was abuzz with movement. Children ran through the greenbelts and parks that fought with the massive skyscrapers for a piece of the autumn sun. Anakin and Pernilla ran through the city streets, desperate to get away from the eyes and ears of the Temple. He had so many questions and he needed to hear her story in order to validate his feelings. The strange vibrations he'd felt on Garapin had returned. Perhaps his friend had discovered their source. Pernilla ran into a covered grassy area and stopped to take a break.

"I think we've gone far enough, Anakin."

"Five miles? We could've stopped at three."

"Forgive me. I've been a little paranoid lately..." As soon as she caught her breath, Pernilla began the story of her betrayal, leaving out nothing except her marriage and the formation of the Force Union. Anakin stared blankly in surprise and disgusted by it all.

"The other Jedi, I don't know Pernilla... they don't like us. I feel threatened all the time, like I'm pinned under a microscope being watched. But I can't believe Dax would do something like that."

"He'd attacked me before. I knew it was coming, I should have watched my back."

"Well, you shouldn't have had to. I should have gone with you. I knew there was something wrong." Anakin was awash in youthful anger. "So what are you going to do now? I mean it's stupid for them to expect you to just brush this off."

"And that's what I hate about it! Here's this man, a _Jedi _no less, who has already done terrible things to me... I'm not going to take it this time! And I know they won't punish him! They will tell me to listen to the Force, to find peace, but no. Dax Fyrestar will pay," Pernilla's eyes were dark and she felt a new sensation, vibrations in the Force of another pitch. In a second she knew she was feeling the Force as her husband felt it. Incensed at her attacker, his rage boiled within her. "I've come to believe that perhaps revenge is not such a bad idea."

"In this case, I don't think you'd be wrong." Anakin bought himself and his friend a water bottle from a vending machine. They drank and walked a little farther down the greenbelt.

"So when you met the Sith, or when you first sensed him, what did it feel like? I just can't shake this feeling from when I was on Hiirok and Garapin. Something just seemed different."

"I didn't feel him at first. He's very skilled at hiding himself, but when I did it was like the music of the Force was playing in a different key. You see Anakin, the Dark Side is all around us but some of the more powerful Jedi tend to ignore it. I've felt these vibrations before, on Coruscant and other planets, from people and things. The others, Master Yoda, they must have felt it too. I think we're all too complacent, especially after Theed. And we all know complacency kills."

"So it must have been him. I mean it made sense for him to be out there. So that is the Dark Side."

"I'm sorry it's not terribly theatrical, not the fire and brimstone of the Jedi Academy. But Anakin, you've seen him before, remember when you were younger? What did you feel then?"

Anakin closed his eyes and called on the Force to help his recollection. His eyes opened slowly, two slits looking out into the sky. "He was strong and distant, like a rock in a stream, standing up against the currents around him."

"And that's the Dark Side. Can it seduce you? As much as any religion or philosophy can. It's all about what you're willing to believe, what you need to hear or what's thrust upon you."

"You know, Pernilla you really ought to teach or at least take on a Padawan."

"Master Windu has me teaching basic self-defense and he wants me to start teaching basic telepathic skills. I don't know if I could handle that one, and certainly not a Padawan!" Pernilla laughed. "I'm not that patient! And I can't stand children."

The young Jedi continued to smile and laugh until she felt a terrible pain. She inhaled sharply as she suddenly sensed that her husband was a million parsecs away. Pernilla still felt Maul's presence within the Force, but this was the first time he was far away from her. When she closed her eyes, she couldn't see him and the shock was nearly unbearable. Where was her beloved? Would she ever see him again? She had to stop and lean against a ferrocrete pylon. Any chance she had of saving face in front of Anakin was lost. She only hoped that her mind tricks would work on her powerful friend. Of course, she wished that her husband would not have had to be a secret, that she could laugh and talk about him like Anakin carried on about Padmé, but she had married a Sith and subsequently forfeited her right to confide in her friends.

"Pernilla, are you all right? You look terrible?"

"I'll be okay, just a little dizzy."

"That's more than a little dizzy. Something's going on in your head. You haven't been the same since you've gotten back. I can feel there's something different about you."

Pernilla rubbed her brow. "No, Anakin, really I'm fine. I'm the same girl you've always known." Anakin knew she was hiding something from the tension in her voice, the lack of her usual mental focus. He'd felt a vibration coming from his friend that was different than he'd ever felt from her before. Not like the Sith, but something a great deal more powerful and distant, hidden from others.

"You made the Force Union, didn't you?" _It's all over_ Pernilla thought as bile rose in her throat.

"Yes I did."

"With whom?"

"I can't tell you, Anakin. Please... don't ask me."

"Well there were three others on Garapin, and two left you with the Sith… Pernilla, it's rather obvious who it was."

"Anakin, you don't understand!" Pernilla whispered desperately as tears suddenly fell from her eyes. "You couldn't possibly-" she pleaded.

"I'm not condemning you," he grabbed her wrist as she moved to run away. "It's not like you had a choice, right?"

"I didn't." Her heart was heavy. "But there's more to it than that, Anakin."

"Tell me. I know you can make me forget and you need to make a confession. Whatever secret you have, it's really killing you."

"I fell in love with him, Anakin. We got married on Tallinn before we returned to Coruscant. But he's gone now, I felt it just now and it was a terrible pain."

"Does he love you?"

"More than his own life."

"Then that's all that matters."

Pernilla smiled and her hurt and worry seemed to melt away. She looked deep into her friend's eyes and placed her hand on his shoulder. She took a breath and then dove into his mind, riding the waves of Force energy, kick starting axions until she found the sensitive conversation, isolated it and destroyed his memory of the past few minutes. Her years of studying forgotten texts were paying off. It took only seconds for someone as skilled as Pernilla. She removed her hand and looked out to the greenbelt. Anakin didn't miss a beat.

"Yeah, I really wouldn't want to teach any of those obnoxious kids!"

Pernilla smiled. No he hadn't missed a beat. Her secret was safe.

**After** hours of grueling reports made to what seemed like a hundred different committees, having dinner with her father didn't seem to be all that intimidating to Pernilla. He had sent an invitation earlier and a skycar after she'd accepted and she enjoyed a comfortable ride to his private residence, the entire top section of the highly desirable 500 Republica building. He lived on the top floors and used the others for storage and office space. Like many other wealthy people on Coruscant, he had to show others just how wealthy he was. At least his home was understated, a beautiful creation made of durasteel and transparisteel in dark, yet soothing colors. The chauffer dropped Pernilla off in the enclosed foyer and her father rushed out to greet her.

"Pernilla! I'm so happy to see you and so glad you could come out tonight."

"Thank you, Chan-, father for inviting me. You have a very impressive residence."

"Oh, you haven't seen the view!"

Palpatine led his daughter through the foyer and straight into a small courtyard which separated the building into two sets of identical suites. The view was spectacular. Her father's apartments towered above the others around it and she could see for miles. Lines of traffic threaded through the deep purple sky as ships and stars began to fill the night sky. At the edge of the courtyard was a beautiful dark pool that seemed to drop off into infinity below.

"Oh the pool water falls into a catch basin on the lower level. You'll see when we go inside."

Pernilla stopped and looked at the dark suites to her left. "Who lives over there?" Her father was slightly taken aback by the question and she tried to pick up on his thoughts.

"My most loyal aides often spend the night there when we have things to work on. It's just a guest house."

"I see. This is just amazing, truly beautiful."

"Well Pernilla you are free to visit. And I certainly hope you will join me here again."

"Of course."

They ate dinner in Palpatine's stunning dining room, a transparisteel structure that seemed to melt into the atmosphere. He employed an incredible chef who cooked an unbelievable mylok steak with sautéed vegetables, flat bread and a fine Correllian wine. Their conversation was a little more comfortable this time, although Pernilla still had a difficult time calling him father. She had not told anyone that he was her father. He inquired about her businesses and Tallinn, were the Jedi treating her well? She answered honestly, with little elaboration and asked him questions about the Senate, hoping to pump some information about the Separatist movement out of his shrewd mind, but she really wanted to ask him about her mother and her early years and she wanted answers to her most desperate questions, but after the emotions of the Force Union and her marriage, she had too many of her own problems to think about. Pernilla sipped her glass of wine and sat back in her chair, crossing her legs and adjusting her short dress, not really sure how to ask her father a very serious question.

"Pernilla, what's on your mind?"

"I must know this and I would appreciate an honest answer. Is the Republic planning to go to war against the Separatists?" Palpatine sighed.

"There is no sense in hiding anything from you with your abilities. War is inevitable. It's only a question of when and where and the when question seems to be any day now."

"I understand."

"I worry endlessly about this. Not for the Republic, but for you. You're a Jedi and you'll be on the frontlines. I'd hate to see anything happen to you."

"Well I've learned over the years to take care of myself. Besides, the Jedi like to keep me tucked safely away." Bitterness dripped from her voice.

"But what of the other Jedi? Are they strong enough?"

"I have my reservations." Pernilla barely noticed his mental prodding. "We're not an army."

"Let us talk of happier things..." There was a long pause in the conversation. Dessert was served over small talk.

"Well, I should be getting back. Thank you father for dinner. It was delicious."

Palpatine walked Pernilla back to the sky car. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. She exhaled and thought for a split second that she could trust him, that it was okay to love him as a daughter ought to love her father. But she didn't trust him. She could sense his mental probes and knew that he was strong in the Force but she had no idea of what he was up to. She sat in the sky car and worried about him, the war, Anakin, her husband. It felt like she was trapped in Master Koth's sensory deprivation cell and the walls were closing in around her.

**"Tell** me what you know about the DS1 project! Or maybe I don't need to ask you that, seeing as I already _bought _the information from Yago! Too bad he won't be selling it to anyone else!" Maul held the squirming human against the table as he threw the severed head of the Sullustan next to his victim.

"I swear, by the gods I didn't sell that information!"

"Then why were you so quick to flee Geonosis with an awfully _large _amount of cargo."

"I didn't!"

"I am going to kill you. The only question that remains is the manner of your death." Maul slammed the man's face into the table and then peered into his wide eyes. He was angry and tired of chasing these thieves around the galaxy. "Your appropriate response should be 'Lord Maul in your infinite wisdom, DO YOU FEEL MERCIFUL!?'" The man cringed at his every word, knowing that he was completely guilty. He had been so foolish to think he could trick Lord Sidious and the devil with his hand around his neck.

"All right! I did steal some of the plans."

"And what did you do with them?"

"They went straight to Yago. And that's the truth." Maul nodded in acknowledgement of what he already knew.

"Your honesty has earned you far more than what you deserve." With an exasperated sigh, Maul drew his lightsaber into his hand and deftly severed the squealing man's head. The threat of information leaks was stopped for the time being. Maul hoped his spy and assassin droids would help keep the others on Geonosis in line. He had other work to do, and when that was over—no, there was no use in getting his hopes up.

The _Scimiar_ waited for him in the dingy spaceport, cargo hold open and ready for him to stow the missing data cores. He was about to stow the five light but bulky objects when a glimmer caught his eye. A single silver box sat in the cargo hold. He sensed no immediate threat and drew it towards him with the Force. It was tied with a single black silk ribbon and someone had written _Orin_ on top of the box in beautiful script. Sensing it had been left by his wife Maul quickly loaded the data cores and hurried inside his ship.

He didn't allow himself to open the box until he had set his course into hyperspace. He had taken off his bulky robes and sat nervously in the cockpit of his ship. His hands were shaking and his mind was filled with thoughts of his wife. He gently pulled the ribbon off of the box—yes, it was one of her ribbons, one that she'd worn when they were married. He could still smell her perfume. He wound it around his hand and timidly opened the box.

Maul saw the silky fabric but didn't immediately recognize what lie in the box. He lifted the garment and ran his hands over its smooth black surface. It was a blaster-proof suit like the one Pernilla had worn when they'd fought in the refinery. He threw off his robes and tried it on. The cool silk fabric sent shivers up his spine. He ran his lips over the ribbon and sighed. It fit perfectly. And to his surprise, it had been embroidered with Bundki chains of protection. Like his wife, he was only one of a handful of people who could read the ancient text. He took of the suit off and read the inscription, a traditional protection prayer from a wife to her husband. He smiled the disgust of the day suddenly forgotten. He wandered into his room and fell onto his bed, imagining Pernilla was falling on top of him, hopelessly lost in a fantasy.

Any more thoughts of Pernilla and he'd need a shower. He left the suit on the bed and looked for some clean clothing in the back of the storage space. He had to rummage around—he had been out for a few weeks and needed to stop for fresh supplies for his tiny ship. He felt the soft folds of his tunics and reached a little farther when his hand touched something smooth and foreign to his former bachelor's pad. He pulled it out and nearly died. Dear beautiful, loving Pernilla had left another present for her lonely husband. Maul laid the treasure out on his lap and stared at the beauty of her perfect purple and black corset. He could not get back to Coruscant fast enough.


	9. Chapter 9- Ghosts

**Chapter 9- Ghosts**

**Pernilla** was about to lose her patience. You just can't learn teräs käsi in a day. She stared at her opponent and student hoping he would understand. He was 17, headstrong and didn't think that she should be teaching the class.

"Myal, I suggest that you spend more time in practice."

"You say that because you know I can beat you."

"There is more to fighting than sheer strength and size." Myal had a foot and a half on Pernilla and about 100 pounds. She thought about fighting Maul and smiled.

"Then prove it!"

This would be an all-out teräs käsi battle. Not the kind of thing she wanted or liked doing during class, but some must learn by example. The fight began and she fought at half strength, but in the end she knocked him out in less than five minutes, the other students cheering her on. Pernilla however turned and spoke sternly. "Why do you cheer? Myal has taught us all an important lesson, that inner strength and purpose can defy the odds and most importantly, that there is no room in the world of a Jedi for arrogance. When pride leads to our fall, it hurts all the worse." She stopped, bent down and returned Myal to consciousness. He stood up groggily, yet was unhurt.

"Forgive me Master Antilles for my arrogance. I see the error of my ways."

"No need to ask for forgiveness if you've learned your lesson. I will help you and anyone else who wishes to practice their techniques this time tomorrow. Class dismissed."

Pernilla stretched as the room cleared out, further warming up her muscles in the empty gym. In the corner of the room sat two droids that had been programmed to assist in lightsaber training for Padawans, but Anakin had modified this pair for his and Pernilla's own devious purposes. They were programmed with variable speeds, they had a memory that would learn and predict movement and were programmed to kill. Pernilla kept them deactivated in her suite and brought them out only for practice alone or with Anakin. She picked up her double-bladed lightsaber and activated the droids with a wrist remote, simultaneously activating each blade of her weapon. Then the attack began. At first she wasn't focused. Her thoughts floated from Myal to Maul and Anakin and the blaster bolts came too close for comfort. Recognizing her lack of focus, she closed her eyes and drew the Force into her every pore. Re-energized, Pernilla drove away the droids who simply came back with a renewed force. Then her focus moved to another level. Without thinking, she tapped into Maul's mind and she was on fire. While Pernilla was skilled with the saber staff, Maul was the undisputed master. Fighting with his power quickly ended the practice session. Two useless droids fell in multiple pieces at her feet as she retracted her blades, surprised that she could still channel her husband's Force powers even though he was far away. She heard clapping and turned around. Having forgotten to lock the doors of the small gymnasium, a rather large crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. They whistled and yelled compliments both Padawans, younglings and Jedi alike. She was at a loss for words.

"Everyone should take time in their busy schedules to practice their lightsaber techniques." There were murmurs and the crowd dispersed slowly until only Master Yoda remained. She would have to find a more suitable training ground.

"Master Yoda," Pernilla bowed.

"Pernilla, good work. Powerful are you with a lighsaber. Afraid are you of meeting the Sith again?"

"No, Master. I was not afraid then and certainly am not now."

"Good. Fear leads to the Dark Side."

"I need to remain prepared. I see darkness ahead. The Sith will return in full force sooner than we'd all like."

"True your words are. Let us all be as ready as you are."

"Thank you Master." She bowed again and secretly, terribly wished that her Sith would return.

**In** the months that passed since Pernilla's return to Coruscant, she'd spent her time training younglings at the behest of her masters, studying in the library and completing small spying and observation missions for the Jedi Council. The atmosphere on Coruscant was full of tension and nervousness. War was the talk of the day. The Senate held countless emergency sessions debating the need for the Republic to form an army and her old acquaintance Padmé Amidala had risen to the forefront of the argument against the Military Creation Act. Anakin watched her speak whenever she traveled to Coruscant with a secret fire burning in his eyes. Pernilla watched with him, secretly hoping that war could be avoided and that her friends would get a chance to deepen their relationship. She had just walked out of yet another Senatorial gathering when her com unit beeped.

"Pernilla Antilles here."

"Miss Antilles, this is Captain Panaka, Senator Amidala's chief of security."

"Hello Captain Panaka."

"Senator Amidala would like to see you. Are you available today?"

"I can come immediately."

"Good. We'll be at the Senator's offices."

Pernilla walked quickly out of the Senate chamber and towards a neighboring group of Senatorial offices. She stopped and quickly assessed her clothing in the transparisteel windows. She wore a strapless turquoise top under a rather formal black jacket with a matching black skirt to blend into the crowd of politicians. She fussed with the headpiece she wore, suddenly made nervous by the unexpected call. While she spent much time observing the Senate, she had little desire to take part in its activities. She hurried to her destination and much to her surprise Senator Amidala's offices were warm and inviting, painted in soft tones and filled with art from Naboo. Captain Panaka invited her inside when she arrived.

"Good afternoon Miss Antilles. The Senator will be right with you."

"Thank you. I hope that everything is well."

"Amidala has concerns that... she thinks you will understand. She has requested that we meet to discuss them."

"Of course."

The doors leading into the Senator's main office burst open and a small group of squabbling reptilian politicians stepped out looking at the captain and Pernilla as if they had been spying on them. Panaka sighed and Padmé invited them in. She squirmed in her chair and tried hopelessly to be comfortable in her bulky jacket. She gave it up and took the maroon garment off. It was surprising to see her in a rather conservative chemise. She was very beautiful without her formal garments, but at the moment she looked tired and overwhelmed.

"I just can't convince them. They won't listen." Her hands were on her forehead as she sat, looking down. She stood up and offered her hand to Pernilla. "Miss Antilles, Captain Panaka thank you for coming. Or should I call you Master now? Congratulations on your promotion Miss Antilles."

"Thank you Senator, but please just call me Pernilla," she smiled.

"Plese sit down. Forgive me—things are a little bit informal right now."

"It's okay. Is anything the matter? I sense that you are very disturbed."

"You're right. And that's why you both are here. To be honest, I'm very worried and embarrassed to say this but... I'm scared. Every day I receive death threats, people have tried to poison me. I need help. Miss Antilles, you have helped me in the past and I have noticed that you spend nearly as much time in the Senate as I do and you are a very skilled Jedi. What are your thoughts on this situation?" Pernilla was at a loss for words. She had never believed that the Senator held her in such high regard.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I think you should return to Naboo."

"You see she agrees with me," Panaka said. "I've been trying to tell her that all along."

"Captain, I needed a second opinion."

"Sorry, my lady."

"I also feel that it would help the Senator to have a few spies simply listening in on the comings and goings of the Senate," Pernilla added, "an intelligence agency so to speak. I would also suggest keeping your staff to a minimum and only traveling with your most trusted associates. And don't announce your travel plans."

"Thank you." Padmé looked away and then back at the Jedi. "Can I ask you a rather personal favor?" Pernilla nodded yes, even more intrigued than before.

"What are your _feelings _about all of this? What do you sense? I feel strange to ask this of you, but when I met with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi they always seemed to be able to sense things. I didn't want to go to the Jedi Council. They've just been telling me to stop protesting and just hide."

Pernilla took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She saw Padmé surrounded by threats, some named, others nameless. She was a rock in a raging sea, calm, composed, beautiful. She would make it through, as long as she was careful. "I can see hundreds of threats here. As long as you are careful you will live through this. You need a break. You haven't stopped speaking and protesting in weeks. Go to Naboo and call it a vacation."

Padmé smiled. "Thank you. That is a wonderful idea."

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Why me? Certainly there are better security experts."

"You're smart, I know about your skills as a fighter and you were once a _hetaera_, so you are well versed in the world of politics and etiquette. And I knew from the moment I met you, that I could trust you and that we are two women of the same mind."

Pernilla sat in shock for a second, taken aback by her compliments. "Thank you Senator Amidala. If you require anything else, please let me know."

"I do. Would you like to accompany me to Naboo? I could use the company and security, if you wouldn't mind."

"Certainly not. Coruscant has become rather stuffy."

"We'll leave tomorrow morning from the Riibat station," Panaka said. "Meet us at 0900."

"Thank you," Pernilla said and bowed her head to the senator and captain.

"No, Pernilla thank you."

**It** was 0845 and Pernilla was anything but ready to leave Coruscant and her beloved. He had come to her in a dream that gripped her until her chrono screamed 0600 hours. She tried to hit the snooze button, but it was no use. Maul had wanted her to go when she'd told him about the trip in her dream-vision. Naboo, he said, was beautiful. He never spoke of what had transpired there, the plot with the Trade Federation or the death of Qui-Gon Jinn. He just looked into her searching eyes and said that the waterfalls were amazing and that the Theed Palace has great architecture. She took a few books, probably too much clothing, makeup, some jewelry, her lightsaber. The Nubian cruiser that belonged to Padmé shone brilliantly in the morning sun and Pernilla started up its solid ramp, sending Maul a silent _I love you_. She felt him respond in kind. Captain Panaka welcomed Pernilla aboard and a protocol droid took her suitcase as she took a seat on the bridge. Padmé was somewhere in the rear of the cruiser composing last minute memos and as soon as Pernilla was seated, they took off. The trip was uneventful and Pernilla read one of her books in the back with the handmaidens. Padmé was unusually quiet and her companions said nothing. The silence was uncomfortable. Pernilla hoped that the whole trip wouldn't be like this.

The evening air of Theed was lush and full of spring. Pernilla took in a deep breath and relaxed. Maul was right, this was a very beautiful place. Pernilla followed Padmé into the main building but stopped in front of a set of huge doors that led into the generator core. A violent vision blew through her mind. There had been a struggle. Maul had been there, she saw the sweat dripping off of his brow. She closed her eyes and tried to drive her vision away. She looked up and in its place was a man. Not just any man, a Jedi. He was middle-aged, with long hair and a goatee. Pernilla stopped. It was Qui-Gon Jinn.

"Excuse me miss, but are you okay?" The security guard looked worried.

"No, I just- the generator... I'm fine."

"That's where the Jedi fought the Sith."

"That explains it." Pernilla shook her head and rubbed her brow. This could be a very long trip, indeed.

**Maul's** sharp eyes narrowed into slits as he scoured a map of Wild Space. There were many blanks, all places that were possible hosts for his master's new project. But he needed to go exploring and that had certainly not been his top priority, especially with his focus so often turning towards his wife and the dream he'd shared with her the night before. He stopped suddenly—since when had his master's orders _not_ been his top priority? The more time he spent with Pernilla, the more he began to question his unflinching loyalty and reaffirm his individuality and his own personal desires. He sighed. Wild Space was far away. It would take him at least two days to get there. He looked back at the floating images on the map. He felt the Force move through him. _Yes_, it seemed to tell him, _what you are looking for is out there and the sooner you get there the sooner you can be with her_. He looked at a point where a note of caution for a black hole had been posted. He would start there.

**Pernilla** had no trouble at all going to sleep on Naboo, despite the fact that it was only around 1400 on Coruscant. Her quarters were spacious and light, a wonder of marble and transparisteel and sometimes glass, it was that old. She liked it immensely and looked forward to exploring it with Padmé the next day. She slept soundly in a comfortable bed. Later that night she awoke with a start. A dark figure was standing at the foot of her bed, only a silhouette against the large bay windows.

"Master, you are needed at once," he said.

She was whisked out of bed and put onto a small land cruiser. It was dark and she had no idea where they were going. Pernilla was still in her night gown and robe and she struggled to tie back her hair.

"What's happened?" She asked the man, clearly a member of the Naboo security team.

"There's been a murder."

"Dear gods!" She sensed it wasn't Padmé. "Who?"

"We're not sure, but we think that you'll be able to help us answer that and to help us find the killer."

They arrived in an urban area with no distinguishing characteristics and she was led up a short flight of stairs into a small apartment. There was blood spatter everywhere and Pernilla sensed a terrible amount of pain and fear and above all else, betrayal. Someone had suffered here and died a gruesome death. She cringed.

"Master are you all right?"

She choked down her words. "Yes, I'll be fine." Pernilla walked through the bloody house as crime scene investigators searched for finger prints and trace evidence while others were busy with a holograph machine. This was a house of fear and she suddenly received desperate images—a mother with blond hair and terrified blue eyes shielding her new born baby who lay screaming on the couch from an assailant she couldn't see. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get inside of the woman's mind and couldn't see things from her point of view. It was as if her powers had suddenly been diminished. _It's no use, _Pernilla thought_; I'm not a psychic detective. I'm no good at this_. She walked into the bedroom where the lifeless body of the mother lay on the floor in a pool of blood. There was something familiar about the woman, yet her face was battered and Pernilla didn't recognize her.

"Liver temp and lividity tells us that she died around 2300 tonight," a lab tech pronounced.

"Where's the baby?" Pernilla asked.

"There was no baby," the tech replied. "We found nothing in the house to suggest that there was or had ever been a baby."

"This woman had a child," she insisted. "I saw it through the Force. It couldn't have been more than a month or two old."

"Sir, we'll look, but I haven't seen anything."

A security captain walked up to Pernilla with a grim look of dissatisfaction. "We didn't want to wake you up, but we've never seen anything like this. We'd hoped that you might be able to see something we can't."

"I do. She was being attacked with a blunt object. She was knocked against the fireplace and sink, but most importantly she was protecting her baby!" Pernilla began wildly gesticulating in her frustration. "She had a baby and someone's taken it! We have to do something quickly!"

"We're doing everything that we can right now. We don't even know who this woman is," said the man as a pair of lab techs pushed by with a repulsorlift gurney carrying away the victim.

"Don't you have a medscan unit? Test her DNA and run it through the registry database. There has to be an answer. We can't wait on this!"

"The medscan won't go through," one of the lab tech told the security chief. "Whoever killed her shot her up with myzophenzadrine to block the scanner. And he would have had to have done it a good two hours before he killed her. She probably knew him."

This was terrible. Pernilla had to find out who killed the woman. She was increasingly drawn to her and she had absolutely no idea why. The fact that her child was in danger further fueled her drive. "We have to start the autopsy now. I'm going to the lab with you," she declared.

"Do it," instructed the security chief.

The initial autopsy report took two hours to complete. Pernilla waited in meditation, trying to focus on the mother and her child, trying to see who had harmed them. But there was nothing more than what she'd seen before.

"Master, we have an initial report," the chief corner declared. "The victim's name is Tai Anippa. She was a female human, 25 years old, born on Alderaan. The rest of her background information is classified. But you were right, she did have a baby. According to our initial autopsy report, it looks like she gave birth naturally less than a month ago. She had barely begun to heal."

Pernilla was floored. She looked at the woman's bloody form and was nearly sick. Tai Anippa, she knew that name... Her mother. _My mother!_ She held onto the door frame. The situation was unreal. _This wasn't happening to me. Or was it? The baby that I had been so worried about... was me. _

"I've already put out a bulletin about the baby all over Naboo and all other major space ports. We don't know who the father is, the sex of the baby... It'll be nearly impossible to find it, if it's alive."

_Nearly impossible.._. Pernilla looked down and wanted to cry. She knew her fate. But what of her mother? And whose eyes was she seeing this world through? She looked out again through the transparisteel divider into the morgue and saw her watery reflection. She was taller with a man's figure, long hair, light eyes, brown Jedi robes, small goatee. She sat up in her bed and screamed—she was seeing everything through Qui-Gon's eyes! No wonder she'd been robbed of her senses. He didn't have the ability to see more. When she opened her eyes, he was standing at the foot of her bed, the moon highlighting his aquiline nose.

"Why?" Pernilla asked him, "Why this? Why now?" He looked at her and was silent.

"There are things that need to be seen by the right people." He disappeared and Pernilla's bed side com unit beeped.

"Miss Antilles, are you all right?" It was palace security.

"Yes, thank you. I just had a bad dream."

Little did she know that the nightmare had just begun.


	10. Chapter 10- Black Holes

**Chapter 10- Black Holes**

**Pernilla** greeted the morning with a great deal of uncertainty. Of course Qui-Gon would speak to her. Who else would care about his message? She thought back to the man's ghostly figure. He was weak. He'd been fighting the call of the Force. For years he'd been waiting for her to come. She put down Captain Panaka's security reports and closed her eyes. _Have strength my friend, I will find you._ She hoped that Qui-Gon was strong enough to wait just a little while longer.

She sipped on a glass of iced tea and ate a few biscuits and a bowl of fruit as she sat on a spacious veranda that opened to a beautiful, verdant valley. Theed Palace stood on the edge of a great cliff and she could hear the crash of giant waterfalls below. Pernilla wore a pair of tailored dark green pants, her favorite pair of brown leather boots, and a jacket with long sleeves that covered her wrists. She needed to look professional, yet she wanted to put Padmé at ease. When the captain came for her, she tied her hair under a cloche hat and grabbed a small purse which held essentials like lipstick and a lightsaber. She looked like an upscale tourist.

"Aside from your dream, did you sleep well?" Panaka asked.

"Of course. This place is amazing." They were walking through the main hallway of the palace towards the Queen's chambers. Pernilla's heels echoed through the empty halls. The legislature was not in session today.

"As for our security, did you find it to be equally impressive?"

"It is indeed. There are very few things that I could recommend that you change."

"Thank you," he said as they walked into a large meeting hall with cathedral-style windows that let in warm, golden sunlight. Pernilla bowed as she came before the queen.

"Queen Jamilla," Panaka bowed, "This is Jedi Master Pernilla Antilles."

"Your Highness."

"Master Antilles, thank you for coming to Naboo. And thank you for convincing Senator Amidala to come with you."

"My only wish is for her continued safety and protection which will certainly be easier to accomplish here."

"Thank you Master," the queen said with a relieved sigh. "The people of Naboo love Senator Amidala and I lose sleep worrying about her. She's brushed everything aside, but the captain has told me about the threats."

"Your highness," implored Panaka, somewhat indignantly.

"Captain we must be honest if Master Antilles is to help us."

"Forgive me for being forthright, but what does your majesty and the captain intended for me to do? I hardly know Senator Amidala and suddenly it seems that I have become her protector. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry Master Antilles," the Queen relaxed a great deal and she dismissed her handmaidens. "The captain informed me that you had assisted the Senator before and as her situation became more threatening, he also told me that she had requested your opinion on her safety. The problem with the Senator is that she's a protected person. She doesn't let anyone in. She won't listen to us. When we saw that she trusts your judgment..." She looked at Pernilla with feelings of helplessness. "We hoped that you could help us to help her."

"I see your highness," she nodded, deep in thought. "Why do you think that she trusts me so much?"

"Senator Amidala has a knack for judging one's character," Panaka responded. "She sees you as a valuable ally and a worthy friend. We don't question her judgment and neither should you."

Pernilla laughed quietly. "I suppose that there's no harm in that. Senator Amidala is a wonderful person and I respect and admire what she has done in the Senate."

"As we and the people of Naboo do," Jamilla smiled. There was so much love for Padmé here which made the threats to her life even more unbearable.

"So what would your majesty have me do?"

"First off, enjoy your vacation on Naboo with the Senator. Secondly... we need to keep her here on Naboo. It's the only option."

"She will not want to miss casting her vote against the Military Creation Act."

"Just convince her to stay here until then. I cannot ask you to abandon your duty to the Jedi, but if you hear anything about her when you return to Coruscant..."

"I will be the first to inform you, your highness. I have already told the Jedi Council about this trip. They wish to help in any way possible. We applaud her pacifist activism."

"Thank you Master Antilles. If you are ready, Padmé and her handmaidens are planning on leaving for the Lake District in a half hour."

"Thank you, your majesty."

**Maul** looked out into the wilds of space. The large view screen of the _Scimitar _was not enough to contain the wonder that caught the young Sith's eye. He was about six hours out of Kessel and deep into Wild Space, what seemed like the final frontier for the captain of the Infiltrator-class ship, the man who seemed to have seen everything in his short life. Light purple and blue gasses, the afterbirth of stars and planets, glowed around several black holes as steady streams of the stuff was sucked into oblivion. Gravitational forces were strong enough to send arcs of electricity flying through the gaseous mass. Maul was struck by the beauty of it all, so complex and deadly. If Pernilla were suddenly transformed into a cosmological phenomenon, he imagined that she would look something like this.

A chime on his console beeped. A complex cartography scan had been completed by a pair of spy probes. There were two large black holes on opposite ends of the four parsecs that made up what had been called the Maw. Four other minor holes were scattered around and the whole area was riddled with abnormal gravitational and energy phenomenon. Looking out, he understood the name. The whole place was one giant maw, spread wide open to kill the unsuspecting. Maul rather liked that idea. It would suit his purposes well. He hoped his master shared his opinion. First however, the area had to be thoroughly explored.

A flick of a few buttons and the _Scimitar _appeared out of thin air, the cloaking device being forsaken in favor of shield reinforcement. Maul set the controls of his ship on manual and slowly pushed towards the gaping Maw. The sensors told him that he was about to attempt the impossible, but with the Force he knew anything was possible. He concentrated and picked an impossible path through gravity wells and space debris, passing three black holes. His piloting skills were superb, but Maul panicked when the asteroids he had been dodging suddenly fell into an energy storm and great blue-white fingers of electricity arced and exploded around the _Scimitar_. He was blinded by the light and thousands of pieces of debris. It was a complete sensory overload for the ship and its pilot. He needed a co-pilot, someone with his skills and foresight. Someone like Pernilla. Maul closed his eyes and reached out to her. He wasn't sure how or if she could help him, but he knew she was a superb pilot and with friends like Anakin Skywalker, it was worth a try.

**Pernilla** was about to leave her room at the palace when she stopped in mid-step and dropped her suitcase. Maul was calling her, he was in trouble. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to reach him. She heard his voice and his desperate request. _I need another set of eyes_. Pernilla fell back onto her bed and focused all of her energy on helping her husband. He was so far away from her, would her Force sight work? The skill was difficult to use over long distances. She tried not to panic. If she doubted her abilities now, surely her husband was doomed. Maul needed another pilot. Could she do it? Pernilla's mind ran through the galaxy, rushing closer to her partner until at last, she was there! She saw his black form hunched over the controls of his ship, hands moving quickly, but not fast enough.

Pernilla looked beyond Maul's body and out into space. _Let me guide your hands_, she told him. She saw the lightening and asteroids precious seconds before he did and she deftly guided him across the control panel, as he worked to avoid what he saw. After five unbearable minutes, the _Scimitar_ emerged out of the asteroid field and into a strangely calm expanse of space, filled with several small planetoids and large asteroids. Maul let out a sigh of relief. _Thank you_, he told her. _Thank you_. He stood up and turned around to embrace her, so sure was he that she was standing behind him. Pernilla wasn't there and a sudden sadness pierced his core as their sudden intimacy was lost.

Pernilla let out a terrible sigh as she lay on her bed, bathed in the warm sunlight of the Theed Palace. Maul had been in terrible trouble, but she had helped him and he was safe now. But that was not good enough for her. What would have happened if she couldn't have helped him? Would she be forced to watch him die? The thought was so unbearable she dismissed it immediately. She sat up and her head throbbed and her vision blurred. These were no small feats. Using the Force has its side effects. She secretly hoped that she would be able to return to Lamare with her husband for a few more lessons with Timo. They desperately needed to work on their long distance skills. It seemed that they would never get that chance. Pernilla took a moment to refresh her makeup and rearrange her hair under her hat. She took a deep breath and headed out for a vacation in the Lake District.

**A shaky** hand spilled dark green Toppelian minsk all over a dirty counter top. Even after a goodly amount of hallucinogenic alcohol, nothing seemed to calm the nerves of Logan Elena. He mopped up his mess with a rag and looked at Dax. How was he so calm? What was his plan? His vision blurred and his head ached, the after effect of the forbidden liquid confiscated in a raid that he had organized with Dax and their security forces. Dax's entire den was full of contraband—glitterstim, firearms, pharmaceuticals, plants, animals and other biological agents, and a host of other unmentionables. Collecting and swindling these goods had brought Logan and his friend a great deal of money and power in the underside of the galaxy.

Dax lit a long cigarette. "What's eating you man? You look terrible, like some burned out stim whore."

"What's eating _me_?" He shot Dax a look of incredulity. "_Me_? We just tried to kill someone, should have done it ourselves, she didn't die and now she's as good as turned us in and she's ready to slit our throats while we sleep."

"You see Logan, the beauty of being a Jedi is that we have this rather silly idea that every being has the right to live. There is no doubt in my mind that if we were to go to trial, they wouldn't have the nerve to even convict us. Besides, we're _Jedi_,we _don't_ do things like _that_. You've got to get into the right mindset."

"I don't give a damn about the Council," the older man's eyes burned with anger. "I'm worried about _her_! I know you've felt it too. She's coming for us." Dax knew what Logan was feeling. He felt it too. He would attribute it to Pernilla's mental antics, but deep within he knew it to only be the machinations of a guilty conscious.

"So you see Logan, the simple solution to our problem is that we need to eliminate the little whore ourselves. It's pointless to do it alone, but together..."

"Yes, we should kill her." Blind paranoia filled the drunken man's head. _Kill her. Kill her now_. But then he had another thought. "So what do you think really happened to her? I mean, she fought the Sith guy and the place blew up." He pounded his glass against the table emphatically. "How the hell did she get out of there? We see him leave, there's no crew coming for weeks and it's freezing. You gotta wonder." And Dax did wonder. Logan's drunken ramblings had finally after all of these weeks, produced some useful grain of insight. Just what exactly had happened to her? She was unharmed. It was certainly possible that the lustful feelings he still bore for Pernilla had also been experienced by the Sith, who was by his very nature prone to satisfying those sort of desires.

"He took her with him. That had to have been the only way."

"And then what? I mean she came back stronger than when she'd left."

"Oh my, how nice it would be to have a beautiful captive Jedi, your own personal sex slave. But he would have hurt her. _I_ would have hurt her," Dax's eyes lit up with power, amused by his own attempts to access the Dark Side, rollicking in his own memories. "But she comes back unharmed. Why?"

"Maybe you should ask her." A glimmer of hope flashed through Logan's mind. If they could somehow blackmail her, perhaps she would be persuaded to give them amnesty, leave them alone.

"Why my pathetic, drunken friend, I think that's a fabulous idea."

**Pernilla** took a deep breath as she drew the covers of her bed around her chest, uncertain what the night would bring. She was tired after a long day of hiking around the blue-green lakes of Naboo and still bothered by the previous nights' vision. She had never seen her mother before and she certainly didn't relish the thought of seeing her mutilated body again. But she needed to speak to Qui-Gon. This time, however, Pernilla didn't go to sleep. She fell into a Jedi trance that allowed her to fully employ her telepathic abilities. In her vision, she was drawn outside into one of Naboo's impossibly verdant gardens. She sat down for a drink at a small table and hoped Qui-Gon would come, doing everything she could think of to boost his power. _Please_, she thought, _please come. _ A tired middle-aged man sat next to her.

"Qui-Gon," she said with relief. "I am so happy to see you."

"So you've met your mother. I am sorry you had to see her like that, but that is the most important thing I have to show you."

"It's all right. I needed to see that."

"You have questions."

"Who was she? It seemed like you knew her."

"Tai was a very good friend of mine. She worked with the Jedi Council very closely for a time. We valued her telepathic skills and we needed to protect her from the forces of the Dark Side." There was a twinge of sadness in his voice, as if he had failed in his mission.

"But you couldn't save her."

"No. The beautiful thing about your mother was that she was a very free spirit. That's why she worked for the Republic's Intelligence Commission. She liked the adventures, the danger." Qui-Gon smiled in reminiscence and suddenly his story came to life, his voice narrating a progression of scenes that played out between them like a holonet movie. "I could have really loved her. Then maybe you wouldn't have ended up… never mind. I will admit that I always loved her from afar. Nevertheless, she was always out flying around the galaxy, exploring, being a spy. We never knew where she went or what she did unless she was working for us. We had once thought she would fulfill the prophecy of the Force Union, but luckily for her she wasn't Force-sensitive. We spent many evenings together in the library, studying and talking and I even took her out for dinner a few times."

Pernilla's mother was so beautiful, with short blond, tousled hair and big blue eyes. She had an infectious laugh and an irresistible smile. Men fell in love with her on the street. She had many friends. Qui-Gon continued, "I always knew that she had many admirers, but I will never forget the day she fell in love in earnest. Her whole demeanor changed. She refused to tell me his name or where he came from, but she had given him her heart and soul. You could see it in her face. The only thing she revealed was that if was a very secret affair. Then she disappeared again. And then almost a year later, in the middle of the night, she sent me an urgent message. She was on Naboo and she needed my help. She told me she sensed a terrible danger and that she was in a vulnerable position."

"What did she say about me?"

"Nothing. I met her on Naboo. I stayed in the capital and met her for dinner. She didn't say anything about you directly, but implied that she was taking care of a very important person, a very powerful person. That person was you, Pernilla."

Pernilla saw her mother's frightened face, looking into Qui-Gon's eyes. She was scared out of her wits. She didn't dare mention Pernilla's father's name or anything about her baby. Pernilla knew what she was thinking, that she had to keep her baby away from her father at all costs. Pernilla had no idea why, but knew Qui-Gon couldn't answer that question. The older man placed his hand over hers and the story continued.

"I asked her how I could help, but she just wouldn't say anything. She was so quiet. She looked terrible and I was very worried for her, but she was a closed person and she kept me at a distance. That was the last time I saw her alive. The security forces woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me she was dead, exactly what you saw. I've been saving that for so long. I've waited here for you to come and I'm so glad to finally meet you. I have to help you solve her murder, help you solve the mystery of your family because I know you are the Chosen One. As soon as I saw the vision of her and the baby—you, I knew it was you and not her. You were the one destined to make the Force Union and it pleases me to know that your union has been made."

"Even if it was my husband who took your life?"

"It was our destiny to meet and my destiny to die. If he had not killed me, your life would have been threatened unnecessarily." The progression of images playing in Pernilla's mind stopped and she looked at Qui-Gon directly. She saw a great weight pressing down on his shoulders and dark shadows around his face. He was pale and his energy waned.

"I know who my father is," she said desperately. Surely her secret was safe in the Spirit Plane. "Palpatine. Elected Chancellor right before you were killed. Does that make any sense to you?"

"I can't tell you. I never sensed anything out of the ordinary from him. He's just a politician."

"But he is strong with the Force, surely that means something? Can you not sense it?"

"I don't know." Qui-Gon faltered and slumped over in his chair. He was fading.

"Qui-Gon!"

"The light of the Force is calling me..." he whispered.

"If you must go, who else can help me? Please stay with me, Qui-Gon!"

"Ask your... your..." His eyes closed and Pernilla shook him awake.

"Ask who? Stay with me just a little longer."

"Your... husband... He killed... me. Ask him why... why he killed me."

And with a brilliant flash, Qui-Gon Jinn finally let go. Pernilla screamed his name and beat the ground where he had fallen and her tears came hot and fast. Would she ever know her mother? Would she ever see her in a vision? The only man who could tell her anything about her was gone now. Her father would never tell her anything and as she stopped crying, she was left with only one other witness to the mystery of her mother, her husband. This story was becoming ever more twisted. As she returned to the real world, all sorts of questions popped into her head. What in the world did Maul know about her mother? Did he even know she was her mother? Does he know who her father is? _Oh by the gods, _Pernilla thought, _he only knows me as Pernilla Antilles. What will he say when he finds out I am the Chancellor's daughter?_ She was filled with nothing but a sense of dread and was only able to fall into a light slumber that night with the aid of a few sleeping pills.

**A three-dimensional** map sprung to life in the cargo bay of the _Scimitar_. Maul stood amidst his creation, too large for the cockpit, smiling at his meticulous efforts and attention to detail. The gravity currents and wells came to life in various shades of green according to their direction and strength; the black holes and their particle trails and gravitational pulls came to life in purple; the asteroid belts were marked in pink with dangerous areas pulsing in red; and asteroids and planetoids large enough for use glowed in yellow. All possible entry routes were marked with a white line. He made sure to note in his report where it would be possible for him to clear a larger path. He re-read the entire document. Maul was an invaluable researcher and thorough beyond all expectations.

He smiled as he saved his report. He could now return to Coruscant and hopefully Pernilla, but first he'd have to pay a surprise visit to the installation on Geonosis. Maul had a sudden urge to check up on his master's other charges. Ever since he had made the Force Union with his wife, he had noticed an increase in his perception and telepathic abilities, and it was this sense that told him Dooku and Grevious were up to no good. He had known all along, but this time he sensed that they were actually doing something about it.

**Mustafar**. Dry, hot, dusty, red. Maul stepped out of the _Scimitar _and looked back to see that it had taken on a rusty sheen_. Gods, I hate this planet_, he thought. _Fifty yards away from the ship and I'm sweating already_. At least he had his speeder this time. He headed out into the desert and their presence stuck him like a search light. Dooku and Grievous were out together in a section of storage space they'd been using to perfect the programming of battle droids. As he flew closer to the opening of the vast cavern Maul could make out their shadowy forms. Whatever they were doing, it was suspect. He closed his eyes and willed his consciousness into the dark cave through the power of the Force. It was as he suspected.

Grievous retracted the blades on his four light sabers, their _snap-hisses_ sounding in a unison no living being could produce. Dooku smiled as he belted his weapon.

"Grievous, you have exceeded my expectations, and this is only your third lesson."

"Thank you Count Dooku. I wish to become powerful in the dark arts."

"That is my goal in your instruction. I know how you—" Dooku turned a sly eye to the terrible Grievous. "How _we _both wish to eliminate the other."

"Darth Maul is no match for our combined strength!" The hate and effort Grievous put into this statement threw the creature into an insatiable fit of coughing and wheezing. Maul relished in the thought that both men feared and hated him so much.

"But he is strong, my student, stronger than he seems, which is why we must become stronger, faster more powerful."

"I've waited long—"

"ENOUGH!" Maul shouted. They were so weak, they hadn't even noticed that he had flown into the cavern and parked his speeder. "Good afternoon Count Dooku and General Grievous. I see things have changed since my last visit. My master has ordered me to oversee this operation and I am disgusted by what I've seen so far. I flew in unannounced, was not hailed by any sort of security; I've rode in here, not too quietly might I add, and I have walked in without either one of you noticing me. As to your conversation," he threw back his cloak and ignited both blades of his lightsaber, "I can address any of your concerns here and now."

It wasn't a threat, it was a promise. Dooku was smart enough not to move, but Grievous was cocky. He reached for his sabers and Maul hit him with a shock of Force lightening, something his android hands could never experience. The energy sent tingling shocks through Maul's body, adding to his feelings of pleasure and excitement. He hoped that they would fight him. He wanted them to fight him so that he could kill them both and prove once and for all that he is his master's one true apprentice. He wanted to kill them as much as they wanted to kill him. But that had not been his master's wish and he had other things to do.

The shock was enough to topple Grievous and burn a few of his circuits. He sat wheezing indignantly. Dooku glared at Maul with arms folded across his chest. "I have other things to attend to," Maul said with authority, "and I will return to check on your progress. My master will not be pleased. And if either one of you wishes to challenge my status as a Dark Lord of the Sith, I will be here, ready for your challenges... or lack thereof."

Maul rode back to the _Scimitar_, ready to get away from the infernal planet and its pathetic inhabitants.


	11. Chapter 11- Revelations

**Chapter 11- Revelations**

**The** day was stunning and so was the water. Stunningly cold, that is. Pernilla jumped onto a small raft made by some adventurous children knowing full well that they had intended to push her into the water. She looked back at the beach as the children paddled out, her bare skin riddled with goose bumps already. In her magenta bikini everyone saw her tattoos and every inch of her anatomy. She felt silly, even though she used to make a living performing with little to no clothing at all. But this wasn't Tallinn and everyone was wearing conservative bathing suits. There was just something old-fashioned about Naboo.

"If you're really a Jedi," said a young brown-eyed boy, "we won't be able to push you off of our raft."

"And what if I'm not a real Jedi?"

"Better hope you can swim!" Added his friend.

"Oh, you have no idea."

When they were a good distance away from shore, the kids circled behind Pernilla and pushed her towards the water of the blue green lake. She let herself fall as they screeched, but she didn't fall all the way—she stopped a few inches from the water, levitating as she turned to face the crowd, just wanting to crawl into one of those nice gazeboes on the shore and read a book. The children were fascinated.

"She's a real Jedi!" Brown Eyes said.

"She's supposed to fall in!" His friend added.

"Who says I won't?" She raised a brow and gathered the Force around her.

"I don't think she can swim!" An older girl shouted.

"Perhaps the question should be—can you?"

She let herself fall into the cold water as she used the Force to push a giant wave behind her, thoroughly drenching the children on the raft. _I'm so terrible with kids_, she thought. _I think my husband would be more kind. Thank the gods he will never make me a mother_. Pernilla came up for air and made sure that the raft and its passengers were unharmed. Whatever malicious thoughts had gone into her plan were lost on the children. Her theatrics, however, made her wildly more popular in their regard, for she was surely the most powerful Jedi they'd ever even heard of. They yelled at her and she used the Force to push them closer to shore. She stayed in the water, the cold sting quickly turning into a throbbing numbness.

Being an excellent swimmer, Pernilla decided to swim back to shore alone. She bobbed in and out of the water, opening her eyes and peering at the strange rock formations amongst the depths. The cold water was clear and silky lake weeds caressed her body like the fingers of a water nymph. And then she saw something. Just a flash, it had to be a fish or a rock. She rushed up for air and heard a voice, _Pernilla_, it called her from the water. She rushed back underwater, using the Force to slow her heart rate as she swam, looking for the woman under the water. Pernilla stopped in awe as her mother smiled at her and her cold hand touched her face. There was not a mark on her body. She was made of white porcelin, pale pink lips and blue eyes painted on with a macabre brush.

"Mother!" Pernilla mouthed underwater.

"I had to keep you safe my little P," she said.

"From whom? What?" _Answer me mother, I don't have much time. I need air, I need answers_, she thought.

"You already know. My how you have grown. Already a woman. Look at your beautiful body..."

"Who killed you?" She was about to black out.

"You're just like I dreamed you would be." She was touching her daughter with her cold, dead hands, trying to hold her down. Pernilla screamed underwater and swam up to the surface, coughing and choking as her lungs filled with warm air. A young man and one of Padmé's handmaidens swam out to meet her.

"My lady," the handmaiden gasped, "Are you all right? You were underwater for a very long time." Their hands were at once steadying and disgusting. Pernilla felt the dead weight of her mother as they held her up, though the assistance was unnecessary.

"I'm quite all right," she said breathlessly. "It's a Jedi thing. I didn't mean to scare anyone."

"Well, we'll help you back," the man said as he and the handmaiden pulled her back to shore. Pernilla laid out on a warm beach towel for the rest of the afternoon and tried to read a book, but all she saw was her mother's face and her empty expression—her _dead_ expression. She was a ghost. The children regarded her with awe and wonder and to her delight they did not bother her again. Though she doubted she would have noticed them, or anyone else as images of her mother and her grisly end flooded her mind.

**Pernilla** ate dinner alone with Padmé that night, her mind a million parsecs away. She was a mess. She didn't have any of her usual makeup on, and she wore a loose slip dress that showed her bra straps over a pair of leggings. Padmé stopped eating for a second. Pernilla had merely rearranged her meal. She had no appetite and everything around her seemed dead like her mother. Padmé looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Pernilla, are you okay? What happened at the lake today? My handmaidens said you nearly drowned."

"It's nothing."

"Nearly drowning isn't _nothing_." She touched her hand, willing Pernilla out of her catatonic state. "Now it's your turn to trust me."

Pernilla sighed and looked down. "Ever since my arrival, I've been having visions of my mother. I never really knew who my parents were until now, but ever since I've been here..." There was no easy way to say it. She told Padmé everything, only leaving out the parts about her father and her husband. "Have you ever heard of anything like that?" Pernilla asked when she finished her tale. "Crimes of passion like that are rare on Naboo, it would have been sensational."

Padmé thought for a moment, "Nothing. I've never heard of anything like that. But we can look. Follow me."

She led Pernilla into a small study where she punched an access code into a small computer console. She searched the police records and every other database that might contain Tai Anippa's name. Her brow wrinkled. "There's nothing here."

"I kept getting this feeling that she was afraid of my father. What if he erased the records?"

"That would be one big cover up. I hate to say it, but it's possible and it's plausible, especially if your father had any sort of connections here on the planet."

_Connections_... what an understatement. Surely, her father wouldn't have harmed her mother. Pernilla assumed that he would want to find her killer.

"I just wish we had something more to go on," Padmé pondered, "some kind of evidence. A picture, anything."

"Wait—there's a way. If I showed you what I saw telepathically, would you be able to tell me where this happened?"

"Yes, it's worth a try," Her voice did not waver. Pernilla expected her to be afraid, but she wasn't. "You've helped me and now I'll try to help you."

"Thank you."

Pernilla took her hand and walked her through Qui-Gon's vision up until he walked into her mother's apartment. Padmé opened her eyes slowly and took a deep breath, deep in thought. Pernilla waited anxiously for an answer.

"I know exactly where this is, but I don't know if that will be of any use to you," Padmé sighed.

"Why?"

"The whole settlement burned to the ground when I was an infant. It was never rebuilt. I don't know why. Nobody goes there anymore. They say it's haunted."

"Good. I have to go there. Is there any way I could borrow a cruiser or a speeder?"

"On one condition."

"What?"

"You take me with you." She sighed. "Pernilla, you're a mess. I mean for a _hetaera_, you look terrible. I know you're here to protect me and to look out for my well-being, but I think you need help this time. Come on, if you won't let me help..."

"Thank you Padmé," Pernilla crumpled against the wall of her study. "You're right. I need all the help I can get this time."

**Building** a secret space station in Wild Space was no small order. Maul looked at his master as he read his apprentice's report, his eyes skimming over Maul's long list of supplies and his estimated costs. Maul's brow furrowed slightly. Had his suggestions been too presumptuous? At last Sidious peered out of his dark hood.

"I agree with you, Lord Maul. The Maw is an excellent choice for our research base. But your plans—"

"Forgive me master, they are too large, too presumptuous, and too costly."

"No—too small. I need a colony, an entire self-sufficient community that exists solely to create and test weapons, computers and other technology. The Jedi are weak, but the might of the Republic is not to be underestimated, my young apprentice. We must be able to meet their challenges."

"Understood, my lord."

"Your research is impeccable. Double your original plans, work on mapping the system and begin finding resources for the new Maw Installation. I will be gone for a week on a business trip to firm up relations with some of our more... stubborn supporters. Prepare a revised report upon my return."

"Yes, master. The Maw Installation will be more powerful and capable than any others of its kind."

The two men stood up and the apprentice bowed to his master. The master exited silently, his robed figure gliding gracefully into the rooms of his apartment across the walkway. Maul let out a sigh of relief. He picked up his report and noted the changes his master had made with a small stylus. It all was mindboggling—a staff of 2,000, heavy laser facilities, a shipyard large enough to construct an entire fleet, droid programming rooms, physics and chemistry labs... The project was large, but it was by no means impossible. Maul had many acquaintances in the underground and many friends on the wrong side of the law who would all be more than willing to provide for his needs. Finding the materials would certainly not be a problem, although the question of staffing the facility and its actual construction would be more difficult. He would wait for his master to decide those matters.

Maul returned to his own apartment and took a seat in his warm study, a place less sterile than his other rooms. It was filled with comfortable furniture in dark shades, strange things he had picked up on his many journeys and souvenirs from his conquests; anything that reminded him that he was someone more than just Lord Maul. He booted up his data portal and slipped his hand into the top drawer of his desk. He felt the soft ribbon in between his fingers and was content. This was the only reminder of Pernilla he dared bring into his residence. If only she were here... Thinking about his wife made Maul work all the more faster. He researched his suppliers and placed orders using his master's accounts. He worked through the night and into the morning, following some desperate need to finish whatever he could as soon as possible, sensing that he would see his wife again and soon. If he could get all of this out of the way, he knew that she would be waiting for him when he returned. He took no time to sleep and headed out to the Maw when there was nothing more to be done on Coruscant.

**The** night was cold and foggy. Pernilla wore boots and a long-sleeved hooded sweater over the slip dress, all too insubstantial for the damp night, but a nervous energy kept her warm. She followed Padmé as she led her to an abandoned settlement, its damaged ruins peeping in and out of the thick fog. It was completely silent. The moons were bright and the women hadn't needed to use their small lights yet. Padmé stopped in front of a crumbled arch and read the inscription written in her native tongue.

"Welcome to Lisent, Spritual Retreat for the Citizens of Naboo. May the Good Goddess bless all who enter."

The place was gloomy and the inscription ironic. It was haunted. Being telepathic, Pernilla had often come across what many people would call ghosts. She did not believe in ghosts. In her world, there was only the Force. When someone died, their life energy was re-absorbed into that great energy, but sometimes, for reasons often beyond anyone's comprehension, some people's life energy was kept from being absorbed, only to become trapped between the living world and the living Force. Sometimes they were strong enough through age or by chance to appear to living people like Pernilla and her mother. Sometimes she could communicate with them, but more often they'd leave her signs as a way of communicating. When a Force sensitive person died, however, their spirit might consciously choose to remain in the spirit plane like Qui-Gon Jinn did and some actively inhabit this limbo, like the infamous Exar Kun. And because of her gifts, Pernilla was acutely aware of the presence of these beings and they frequently chose to communicate with her. Pernilla looked into the gloom and darkness and she saw ghosts, empty faces staring at her, willowy arms reaching outwards.

"Do you sense anything?" Padmé asked.

"There's ghosts everywhere and they're all looking at me." She pulled the hood of her sweater over her head and buried her hands in her pockets, trying to sense what the spirits wanted.

"I've heard that about one hundred people were killed in the fire." As she spoke, the gloom of the city lifted and suddenly Pernilla was back on the cold night that Lisent burned to the ground. An ambulance whizzed past, only inches away from her. Pernilla heard something about a central power surge that had trapped people inside their homes when the automatic doors refused to open.

"C'mon Padmé, let's go inside," Pernilla said as they approached a group of gutted buildings. "I have to get this over with. I hope you aren't frightened."

"You're the one who can see ghosts," she replied with a strong look and a hint of humor.

As Pernilla walked deeper into the settlement, the gloom and decay of more than two decades lifted like a sheet being pulled off of a statue. She heard screams of the dying and cringed at the acrid smell of smoke.

"Are you all right?" Padmé put her hand on Pernilla's shoulder.

"It's so terrible. All of these people, they were trapped in the fire. There was some sort of a power surge that destroyed the emergency exit controls. This whole place was hooked into some sort of central computer core."

"It was an experimental colony based on communal living, but everything went wrong."

"Do you know where my mother was staying when she was killed? I can't stay here much longer." The smoke in Pernilla's vision was suffocating, even though Padmé saw nothing.

"Yes. Follow me."

Padmé took Pernilla's hand to keep her on course as she traveled between the living world and the spirit plane. Pernilla was glad she was there. The scene only intensified around Pernilla as people fled outside of the compound and the two women headed deeper into the fire. Padmé held onto Pernilla's hand as she stumbled over debris in the street and choked on non-existent smoke. _Did Padmé see all of this? _Pernilla wondered. The heat burned her bare cheeks and legs. She rubbed the smoke out of her eyes and saw a tattered piece of crime scene tape dangling from the entrance of a stairwell. She gasped for air.

" Padmé! Over there."

She walked closer to the apartment building and led Pernilla to the entrance of a stairwell. Pernilla ran into a police droid when she stopped in front of the inferno and quite suddenly the whole scene disappeared and she was back with Padmé. Padmé looked at the Jedi and Pernilla looked back beyond her face to see a huge crowd of silent, faceless ghosts. They were young and old, male and female and each one held out a deathly arm towards the stairwell. She stopped and looked at them all. She had to go in there. It was the only way. She had to do it for the crowd of ghosts for she suddenly understood that the fire had been set to hide her mother's murder.

"I can't ask you to come with me," Pernilla said.

"You shouldn't be alone."

Pernilla led the way up the dark stairs, being careful not to trip over exposed wires and metal girding, her hand on the lightsaber she had secretly slipped around her waist, not knowing what to expect. At the top of the stairwell was the skeleton of a fancy door that had partially melted in the fire. The whole structure was little more than a ferrocrete shell, its edges worn by time and the elements. Once more a transformation began. The dilapidation was ripped off of the walls like wrapping paper being shredded by an excited child and a cleansing light brought Pernilla back to an earlier time. The giant door was wood and metal once again and she heard a soft voice cooing from inside. She stepped up to peer through the crack and saw her mother sitting on a couch holding her baby in the crook of her arm as she sat reading in the afternoon sun. It was all so sweet and gentle, the way she stroked the infant's head and gave her a soft toy when she awoke. Pernilla's jaw quivered and a single tear fell down her cheek. She couldn't believe how much her mother loved her, or how much she suddenly missed the woman she'd never known.

The door opened wider, beckoning Pernilla in. She followed her mother as she prepared to bathe her daughter. Tai wore loose clothing in earthen tones and from her appearance it couldn't have been more than a few weeks since Pernilla had been born. Despite her tender touch and endless love she showed her child, she was aware that she was in danger. Tai wore two blasters at her hip, while a larger weapon sat on the counter. Pernilla tried desperately to discover the nature of the threat, but she couldn't separate it from the emotions she felt in the room. It was almost as if her mother didn't want to tell her. She was shielding her then and she shielded her now. She watched and cried and when she was ready, she spoke to her.

"Tai, can you hear me? Do you know who I am?" She looked up suddenly, confused. She stared at Pernilla and then smiled.

"My daughter, Pernilla." She looked down at the infant in her arms. "I see you've grown. I'm so glad you came to see me. You don't know how much I've wanted to see you."

"I got an idea after I nearly drowned in the lake." _Please mother stop playing games with me._

"I'm so sorry," she gasped as she ran her hand along Pernilla's face. It was no longer so cold and dead. She was stronger here, in the place of her death. "Forgive me Pernilla, I forget..."

_She forgets that she is dead. They all do. _"I understand mother. So why bring me here?"

"I wanted to get to know you, to see your face. Tell me all about yourself. What are you doing now? Are you married? Do you have any children?" Her blue eyes lit up with motherly affection and interest. This was so mundane that Pernilla forgot for a moment that she was dead.

"Well mother, I am a Jedi, and yes I am married," How could she lie to her dead mother about that? Would she even care? She continued, "I don't have any children. I am very wealthy. It appears that I have inherited your telepathic abilities and my father's sensitivity to the Force."

"Your father... how is he?"

"He's well. He's become Supreme Chancellor."

"I told him he would." She was rather nonchalant about Palpatine and there was a strange detachment in her voice when she spoke about him. "And here's another thing I told him, and don't ever forget this—you will be the death of him. You will be his downfall. I've tried to tell him before, but he wouldn't listen. Now at least you know."

_Strange, so strange. _"So mother, I have to ask—who killed you? I've come so far to right this wrong. I need your help. I can sense that you're hiding something from me. Who did it? Why? Tell me, please."

Tai walked into her boudoir to lay her baby on the bed. She took off a small necklace that held a medallion of protection and laid it on an armoire. "Oh Pernilla, my Pernilla." Her eyes were tired and she looked haggard. Her hands shook as she caressed her grown daughter's face. "There are many evils in this world. Some were never meant to be revealed. In time you will know and you will understand."

Pernilla was flabbergasted. She had refused to tell her!

"Calm your anger, my sweet child. You will understand in time. Tell me about your husband instead."

Her _husband_?! Pernilla couldn't believe her, but it would be wrong not to answer her.

"He is a Zabrak from Iridonia. His name is Orin Inanna Khamier."

"I'm so happy that you found him. Did you make the Force Union with him as well?"

"How did you know? I mean, yes I did."

"You see Pernilla your life was in danger from the moment you were conceived. They had always thought that I was the Chosen One, but they soon learned that they were wrong. When word got out that I was pregnant... There were so many kidnapping attempts. I knew from the minute I found out that I was pregnant, that you would be the Chosen One. I had to protect you, but it wasn't enough… But all that matters now is that you found Orin. You can protect each other now."

"Did you know about him, too?"

"Yes—in a vision. He was born only a month after you were, but I saw it all. You made the union and were married on Tallinn, weren't you? In a purple and black dress? You were stunning as was my son-in-law."

"Yes, yes we were." Pernilla quickly realized how uncanny her abilities must seem to others. Her mother had seen this all before she was even born. She had known her beloved before he was born. Her mother spoke with a voice that was older than she appeared. It was rather disconcerting, but she had seen it all.

"All that matters now is that you've made the union. You're much safer now and you're stronger in the Force."

"So what happens now?" Pernilla asked with a heavy heart. "Where are you going? What will happen to me?"

"I wish I could stay here forever, but there are forces here that threaten my existence. I just needed to see you before I have to go."

"What other things have you seen about me?"

She smiled. "I know you were once a fortune teller and I don't know if I should do the same for you." She smiled wider this time. "I will tell you this; the wonders of the Force Union have not yet been completely revealed. You and Orin will experience the impossible and many other wonderful things." She stopped smiling and sighed. "And I am serious about your concerns. I'm not doing this intentionally. You will find an answer when the time is right."

They embraced with much emotion. Tai was taller than her daughter and Pernilla felt safe in her arms, once again a small child. She started to cry. Where had she been all this time? As her tears flowed stronger, her mother's form began to fade and the walls of her apartment fell back into ruin. Pernilla fell to her knees and held her face in her hands and cried some more. She missed her mother. She slouched onto her side and her hand fell out to support her body. As her wrist hit the floor, Pernilla felt something shift beneath it. It was a small silver medallion on a small chain, her mother's pendant. She brushed it off and stowed it in her pocket as Padmé came to help her.

"Pernilla are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just spoke with my mother."

"Really? I didn't hear anything from you or her or the ghosts in the village."

Pernilla stopped and let out a small chuckle-sigh of relief. "Let's get out of here," she said as she retreated down the stairs and wiped her face. With each step she took, several ghost faces disappeared. When they returned to the street, the entire crowd had dissipated, their ghastly job of guidance having been fulfilled. Padmé and Pernilla walked in silence, yet somehow she seemed to understand everything. Pernilla stayed on Naboo for another restful day and convinced Padmé to remain in safety before she was called back into action on Coruscant.


	12. Chapter 12- Revenge

**Chapter 12—Revenge**

**Maul** walked out onto the deck of the central command module of the Maw Installation and looked out into a giant mass of star material and colossal astro-construction equipment. Over ninety percent of the initial work on the station was being done by droids whose minds could be easily wiped. The rest was done by a select group of scientists and architects; hand-picked by his master who had paid and threatened them enough to ensure their silence, yet he was still paranoid. Someone would escape; someone would stumble upon this place. He sighed, knowing that he was there just to prevent such an occurrence. A bead of sweat rolled down Maul's brow, stinging his eye. It was too warm in his protective suit. It would be weeks until the station was completed and the gravity and life support controls were fully functional, but he had to come out and look at his own private empire. An automated reminder blinked to life on the com unit on his wrist, ending his reverie. It was time to go. Once inside his ship, he took a final tour of the construction site before slipping into hyperspace towards the Bilbringi Shipyards. The _Scimitar _was due for a major service and some obscenely expensive and exclusive modifications. He ate an unremarkable dinner and forced himself to read one of Dooku's terrible reports on the progress, or lack thereof, being made at Geonosis. As he stared at the data pad the words blurred into oblivion and he was whisked into a vision.

_I was on a light cruiser standing next to Pernilla, looking over her shoulder as a young ensign screamed in frustration as sparks flew out of his console. Pernilla yelled at him, but I couldn't hear anything. Acrid smoke burned my nose and eyes. The deck shook as the tiny craft was struck again. Suddenly, the whole ship blew apart and everything faded into white. _

Maul snapped out of the trance. He was not used to having visions, an experience that had once solely been the realm of his wife. She was in danger. He had no idea where she was or who she was with, but he had to warn her. He sat on the floor in a meditative pose and reached out to her mind.

**Pernilla** fidgeted in her expensive crepe wool dress. It was a little too warm in the shuttle for the heavy garment and she was sunburnt from her trip to Naboo. She looked over the young ensign's shoulder, ready to take over from the greenhorn pilot. This detour from what should have been an uneventful return to Coruscant had gone on long enough and she did not want to spend a moment longer in the dangerous Nar Shaddaa region. Besides, she'd thought it was silly trying to convince the Smuggler's Alliance to side with the Republic when the Separatists offered them so much more business. Nevertheless, she had accompanied Senator Aramis Teil on his hopeless mission when he'd insisted on going after they'd picked her up. But the ensign was not moving fast enough. Pernilla was filled with a sudden sense of urgency, as if someone was warning her of a sudden danger. They had to leave now. She began to open her mouth when she was suddenly struck with a terrifying vision of their ship under attack. Pernilla fell to the floor. There was smoke and they were hit again and again until there was nothing more to hit.

"Master Antilles, what's the matter?" Teil's multiple eyelids fluttered in excitement.

"We have to get out of here! Now! Or we're all dead!"

"What?!" The ensign cried and Pernilla pried him out of his seat. She maneuvered the small cruiser into a free fall of twists and sudden darting movements as she ran through Nar Shaddaa's spires and towers, running from an invisible attacker. She aimed the ship's single blaster into thin air

.

"What in the world are you doing? There's nothing there." Teil croaked, his reptilian skin turning colors in alarm.

"Saving our lives!" Pernilla replied through clenched teeth. "They're right behind us. They're cloaked." Pernilla's finger tapped the controls several times. The blaster fired, leaving the transportation corridor a charred black. "Damn it!" She screeched. "We've got to run now. Senator, you might not want to mess with the Hutts in the future!"

"If there is a future," the ensign added.

"Shut up," Pernilla was ready to knock him out with the Force. She pushed the cruiser to its limits and managed to fly away from the planet and to the outskirts of the system. Then she spun around, hoping to outmaneuver her attacker, but it was too late. Their ship took a direct hit to the hull. Pernilla kept at the helm and the young ensign had enough sense to make an emergency call.

"May day! May day! This is the Republic cruiser _Anabis_ in the Nar Shaddaa region requesting immediate military assistance. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under attack and require immediate assistance."

An emergency light flashed bright red in Dax Fyrestar's security outpost nestled between Toydaria and Nar Shaddaa. His brow furrowed.

"Lieutenant Billings, answer the call."

"Yes sir."

The transmission was full of static, but the message was clear—a Republic cruiser was under attack. The view screen in his command station was suddenly filled with the image of the weakened craft and its attacker.

"Billings, sound the alarm for an attack squadron. I want two heavily armed cruisers ready to go by the time I reach the hangar."

"Yes, sir."

There were few other things that Dax relished more than being lauded as a hero. His green eyes glowed with a sudden energy and he tucked his scruffy blond hair behind his ear. Today he would save a Republic cruiser that carried a senator, if memory served him correctly. Today he would be called a hero. The security cruisers were ready when he arrived. With their modified power drives, it didn't take Dax's forces long to reach the wounded cruiser. The attacking ship's cloaking device had been disabled after Pernilla landed a lucky shot, but she couldn't save the cruiser from its impending death. Her heart lifted with relief when she saw Dax's convoy. The two ships immediately opened fire on the small attack craft, clearly a smuggler's special. It fired back, but the Republic's shields absorbed the blows. Pernilla saw an opportunity when the smuggler's ship attacked the others and she readied herself to fire one last shot. She closed her eyes and saw the battle through the Force, letting her instincts guide her shot. When the time was right, she pressed the trigger and the smuggler's ship disappeared in a shower of white light.

"That was a great shot. You're a real sharp shooter, especially with this little cruiser. I would never—" started the ensign.

"With the Force, all things are possible," Pernilla said and the ensign stopped talking. Pernilla felt a cold chill. The com unit buzzed and Pernilla noticed that the ship's engines were close to critical levels.

"Republic Security for Sector D-458 to _Anabis_. _Anabis _do you read?" Dax listened impatiently.

"Master Pernilla Antilles speaking from the _Anabis_, we read you and request immediate evacuation."

_Pernilla Antilles_. The day was growing sweeter by the minute. Excitement flashed in Dax's eyes. At last he would be able to speak with her about her adventure on Garapin. Dax could barely contain himself. "Please prepare to evacuate your vessel."

It was Dax, Pernilla sensed now. Her frustration grew by the minute. "Senator, we need to evacuate. Please collect your belongings and make your way to the rear hatch." She wasted no time in gathering the bags she'd taken with her to Naboo. With Dax around, she'd definitely want her lightsaber. Dax's ship made contact with their hatch and they wasted little time in evacuating. The lights dimmed on Dax's vessel as power was diverted to the rear shields as it moved away from the exploding _Anabis_. Three security officers escorted the group to the bridge. Pernilla's blood boiled as she looked at Dax's back. He turned around slowly, dramatically.

"So we meet again, Miss Antilles." He smiled and offered his hand. Pernilla took it, fighting the urge to crush it entirely. "That was quite a bit of impressive piloting you did back there." Pernilla only nodded in acknowledgement.

"Master Antilles saved our lives," Teil said with pride. "I'm very thankful for her assistance."

"You're welcome, sir. It is my duty to protect. Now we must make arrangements to return to Coruscant. Captain Dax, can you take us back?"

"Of course. I will have our course changed and my staff will notify the appropriate authorities."

"Thank you," Teil said as if these sort of debacles happened every day. "Would you mind if I retired? I have a few diplomatic issues to attend to."

"Billings, please escort the senator to the passenger lounge."

"Yes, sir."

The ensign and the senator walked away and suddenly Pernilla was left alone with Dax and his crew. "If you wouldn't mind Miss Antilles, I would like to have a word with you. Alone and in private."

Dax's eyes spelled trouble and suddenly Pernilla felt her stomach sinking. He was up to something and she was feeling trapped again. "Of course, Dax." Pernilla replied with clenched teeth.

**Maul** lost touch with Pernilla and fell flat against the deck, his head throbbing and his breath coming too quickly. Was she all right? He had to know. His fingers caught the metal grating of the deck as he willed every cell in his body to concentrate, to see through her eyes. _Nothing. There was nothing!_ He'd never been good at using Force sight, but she's had years to practice. _The bond is there, so why can't I see her? She's so much better than me._ Then a terrible thought struck Maul—perhaps he had been too late and she didn't make it. Perhaps she was unconscious and, and...

He stopped and took a deep breath, sitting up slowly. He wouldn't let anger and frustration get the best of him. _This is how the rest of our life has to be._ He closed his eyes and looked again with a focused mind. He saw through her eyes and watched her expert piloting. Her cruiser had been damaged, but she had found help. He saw her onboard a Republic ship, alive but frazzled. He sighed. She was alive and that's all that mattered, but then Maul began to sense a growing apprehension behind her eyes. There was something else going on.

Maul felt a slight shudder as the _Scimitar _came out of hyperspace. A beeping noise signaled his arrival at Bilbringi. He sat for a moment, unwilling to return to reality. He had to assume that Pernilla would be unharmed. Maul contacted the appropriate officials and guided his ship into a hidden bay. The hardest part about it all was the distance and the constant separation. Letting her slip and not being there to catch her. It seemed as though it had only been a few months ago when she had been sleeping next to him, an extension of his soul, his very being and now she was half a galaxy away and he couldn't be there for her or even let on that I know her if he was lucky enough to see her somewhere! He threw a stylus across the room. It hit a bulkhead with a resounding metallic ping, as if it was an embodiment of Maul's constant pain and frustration. He just couldn't deal with this right now. He needed to get out of his ship. He took his lightsaber, left his ship in good hands and headed out to a decommissioned hangar. He needed to fight. He needed to destroy something. He needed her.

**Dax** offered Pernilla a glass of water and little else. She loosened her collar and shifted nervously in her chair. She was ready to face him and whatever he might have to say and she was ready to kill him with her bare hands. When she closed her eyes, the hate and anger that fueled her husband's powers flowed through her veins. There would be reckoning, she knew. It couldn't come soon enough.

"I'm glad to see that you made it out of that little tiff, sweetheart. But I suppose running from one silly little smuggler was nothing after you'd fought the Sith."

"What do you want from me, Dax? You should be begging me not to end your pathetic existence," Pernilla hissed through grated teeth.

"I'm not so sure about that. You know, I've had some time to think since we last met. And when I thought about your story, I realized that there were a lot of little _incongruities_... You _know _there was no maintenance crew sent to the refinery... You would have _died _in the cold."

"What exactly are you getting at?"

"It was my dear, but usually dull friend Logan who suggested it first—neither one of you died in the explosion and only one of you had a ship..."

"What are you getting at you disgusting—!?" Pernilla slammed her fist into the desk, shattering its glass cover.

"It just seems that I'm not the only one who's lyinghere. That perhaps he kidnapped you. Or maybe you went willingly. You were gone for _four weeks_... _Four weeks_, in a small ship with the Sith..." Pernilla couldn't believe her ears. Her face burned red. She was ready for blood. _How dare he? How could he? _His very accusation was his death warrant. He continued, "The Sith always take what they want, use it up and throw it away, but you lasted so long. Was that because you liked it? Because you wanted him? Because you _really _tasted the Dark Side, felt every _inch _of it!?" Dax's voice grew increasingly louder as he circled in for the kill. His face was red as he leaned in close to her. Pernilla clenched her teeth; her hands were fists waiting for the striking order. There was more, "Look, I _know _you're lying because I know _you _of all people certainly wouldn't lie to save my ass."

"I will ask you one more time, what do you want from me Dax?" Pernilla hissed as she crossed her arms to avoid striking him.

"Well, first off I'd like to know what really went on between you and him. Was it good for you? You came back unscathed." Dax sat on the table and condescendingly looked into Pernilla's hateful eyes. "Next I'd like to propose that we make a deal."

"I've had enough of your deals."

"Hear me out. It's really simple. You agree to leave me and Logan alone and in return I won't tell anyone what really went down in his little ship."

Pernilla played his game. "And what do you think was that?"

"You being the little slut that you are..."

That was enough. Pernilla sprung out of her chair, tackling Dax to the ground and punching him solidly on the jaw. The table fell over in the struggle, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Her hands gripped his collar firmly and she kept a knee against his chest, pushing him down with all her strength and that of the Force just as he had once restrained her. "Leave me alone! Nothing happened. _Nothing!_" She spat in his face. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now! Just one!" She was ready to kill him and accept the consequences. She would give Maul his head.

"And the Sith isn't good enough?" Pernilla punched him again. He backed down and raised his hands in surrender.

"You know, sweetheart my offer still stands. Make the union with me..."

And then she lost all control and Pernilla saw a darkness. The book... Naga Sadow... the _Art of Mental Warfare_... Things she was never to have read. "Give it up Dax, I've already made it." There was a moment of silence as the revelation seeped in.

"What?"

"I said I've already made it. You see, you hoped he'd kill me, but he really turned your plans upside down. We really did try to kill each other at first, but after a while we realized that we were too perfectly matched. And in more ways than just fighting. You see we have a lot in common... We knew that we were meant for each other and I knew he was the one almost immediately. The union was made," Pernilla leaned down to whisper into Dax's ear and apply an uncomfortable amount of pressure to his throat. "And I'll have you know that I find him _very _attractive. He'd wanted to ravish me since the moment we met. And soon he did. He fucked my brains out for hours. I screamed his name as he made me come again and again," she laughed an evil laugh and pressed down harder. "And the best part about it... He's a million times the man you'll ever dream of being."

"I was right, you filthy whore!"

"Now I'd like to hear you say that to my husband. While I may have reservations about killing you, I'm sure he does not!"

Dax froze in terror for a second, thinking about Maul while Pernilla touched the Force in a way she had never done before, calling out to the dark spirit of Naga Sadow. She sought out his power and opened her mind to the great tear in the Force that was the Dark Side. A cold singularity of purpose filled her mind and blocked out second thoughts and everything she had ever known of knowledge, kindness, pain, hate... love. It was intoxicating commanding so much power. Using her full telepathic force, Pernilla grabbed Dax's mind and presented him with a darkness, an endless void so terrible and empty that Dax fell back in catatonic shock. In his mind he was falling through a void that embodied his worst fears. Pernilla continued her rant, vitriol seething through clenched teeth. "If you wish to keep your pathetic existence, it is in your best interest to leave me and my husband alone. You will forget everything that I have told you and you will return to your boring work and every day you will thank the gods that Pernilla Inanna Palpatine has for reasons completely beyond her better judgment, spared your pathetic life!"

Pernilla stood up and kicked Dax back into consciousness. Her rage retreated and she took a deep breath, suddenly the epitome of composure. "You sat on the edge of the table," she smiled deviously at him. "It broke... and you fell."

Dax sat motionless. He remembered everything, of course, but when he tried to bring any of it back to consciousness, the terrible darkness returned. She stared at him calmly now, back to her normal self, brushing glass off of the hem of her dress. Dax had kidnapped and viciously raped her, without a hint of remorse. Lying at her feet, shame finally came to him. But it was too late for apologies now.

**Darth** Sidious awoke suddenly in his vaulted bed. There was no intruder, no cause for alarm. He sat up. He ran his hands through his hair. He smiled. Somewhere in the great void of the galaxy, his beautiful daughter had burned with anger and tapped into her rage. Somewhere in the great beyond, Pernilla Palpatine had discovered the Dark Side.

**_Thank_**_ the gods Coruscant was not too far away_, thought Pernilla as she awaited the familiar shudder that accompanied the drop out of hyperspace. Dax's ship landed on a floating sky pad with a full host of security personnel and Pernilla escorted Senator Teil and the ensign out. Dax left immediately and she suddenly found herself alone with her master. Mace Windu's arms were crossed, more in annoyance of Teil's silly plan than with what Pernilla had alluded to in her brief message. She'd told him that she'd done something terrible. It might have felt good at the time and he might have deserved it, but it was terrible nonetheless. _He still believes in me. Too much, I think. I fear I can only disappoint him, the man who had pushed so hard to mold me into the, the... the lost... confused... heartsick Jedi that stood before him in a crumpled dress._

"Pernilla, you look terrible. What's wrong?"

She stood with her arms crossed tightly against her chest and shook her head, looking down. Windu stepped up to her and placed a steady hand on her shoulder.

"I did something terrible, Master."

_I couldn't say it. I showed him a lie, transposing Dax's face with another's, obscuring our location, blurring the details. There was no way he could know about my betrayal at Dax's hands or anything else that followed. Then I felt bad about lying and hiding everything. I am a horrible person, as pathetic a Jedi as Dax._

"You were tempted?"

"Yes. I was angry, then everything... It was all just there, like it had been waiting for me all along."

"The Dark Side?"

"Yes, I suppose that's what it was. You know how I feel about that," and indeed he would never forget her reluctance to define the Force. "It was just like learning how to use my telepathy with the Force. It was just there, like I had suddenly found the right key to decode the message. It was more like a voice, not so much the Force itself. It spoke through the Force. It appeared as if it were a hand open for the shaking."

"I see," Mace nodded. The cold winter wind blew strands of hair into Pernilla's mouth. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin. He looked very tired. "Because of your gift and your increased perception, you are especially vulnerable to the Dark Side and it does not surprise me that it has targeted you. I'm just surprised that you've held it back for so long."

Pernilla looked up in surprise. Was he not hearing what she had been saying? That the Dark Side had called to her and that she had answered? _He had a lot on his mind. He must think that I'm strong enough to handle it by myself. It was silly to expect him to give me a deep and meaningful answer. I'm a grown woman, I can deal with this._ "Of course, Master Windu. But it bothers me that it spoke... and I actually listened."

"Pernilla, the Dark Side speaks to everyone at some point in their lives. It's all a matter of what you do about it. You were tempted, given a taste but you didn't take the plunge, you resisted and now you have second thoughts and remorse for what you did. And that's the way it should be. I'd worry if you fed upon that power and you didn't care what you had done."

"You're right, Master."

"I want you to go home, take a bath, get a good night's rest and then meditate in the Temple tomorrow morning. You've been working a lot lately," he sighed. "We all have, but I think you and I need to take a little break to get back in touch with the Force."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Master."

**With** every muscle in his body screaming in pain, Maul had to stop. He looked behind at the mess he'd made, plasticene containers cut and smashed into pieces, scraps of metal and wire too burned and mangled to identify. He retracted the blades of his lightsaber and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. With every crate he opened, he had hoped to find her there, but there was nothing except his own frustration... he sighed. _Those feelings had to come out and it's really too bad if a few droids got in the way. That's life. No one's going to complain after all of the credits I've spent here._

He returned to the _Scimitar_, its hull crisscrossed with vacuum lines and electrical tubing, while several technicians deftly wielded some heavy welding equipment. He threw his lightsaber onto his bed and fell down beside it, kicking off his boots. Maul locked the door and barely heard the noises of the crew above him. He'd beable to leave in a few hours, but somehow none of it seemed to matter.


	13. Chapter 13- In Nomine Patris

**Chapter 13—In Nomine Patris**

**The** Gratta Shopping Arcade was a huge tourist destination on Coruscant, filled with all sorts of flashing lights, street performers and retail stores. Coruscant natives eschewed the place, saying it was tacky and low brow, but at the moment it was what Pernilla needed. The trip to Naboo had been anything but relaxing and even though she'd spent the morning meditating, she still felt wound up. She walked the streets, letting her thoughts wander, trying not to think about her mother and the secrets she was hiding or that she'd probably never see her spirit again. She just wanted to remember her mother's smile and beautiful face, not a ghost in the water or a crime victim. Pernilla thought about asking Maul about Qui-Gon Jinn, but that seemed to fall into the taboo subject of Sith versus Jedi, which they had an unspoken agreement never to talk about. _It's not like I would be seeing him anytime soon anyway_, she thought. And then there was her father. Why would her mother say so little about him? Pernilla thought she would have been able to sense more, but these were old memories and she'd seen them through Qui-Gon's eyes. Besides, what did it matter? It didn't seem like it would have much impact on her life now. She hadn't learned anything new, but if it was important enough for Qui-Gon to speak to her... The endless possibilities were enough to give her a headache. Pernilla walked on, oblivious to everything, hands in her pocket, eyes to the ground. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she barely noticed the gloved hand that jumped out of the shadows and covered her mouth. She jabbed an elbow back, but stopped in mid-swing. The other hand of her assailant wrapped around her waist with a loving squeeze and she couldn't believe that she'd been so engulfed in her thoughts that she hadn't sensed her own husband sneaking up behind her!

"Orin! I can't believe it!" She hugged him close.

"I've missed you so much." He gave her a rushed kiss. "What are you doing right now?"

"Nothing. I just had to get away from the Temple."

"Can I have you for a night?"

"No, you may certainly not have your wife for a moment longer," she teased as he took her up in his arms.

"Good because my master is away and I would like to show you where I live and I would loveto get you into my bed."

The event was momentous enough to warrant taking a private sky car as Maul and Pernilla had come on foot and the walk to Maul's residence was some distance away. The sky car was black and unmarked, like so many around the Senate. Pernilla liked the car and sat with her legs across Maul's lap as they talked about her trip to Naboo. She told him everything about her mother and he told her about his deep space exploration. She didn't notice where they were heading. She was just happy to be spending time with her husband. They disembarked in a non-descript parking garage on top of a beautiful skyscraper, the famous 500 Republica building. Maul insisted on taking Pernilla through his master's apartments, a look of mischief in his eyes, like a son stealing his father's liquor or his brother's speeder.

"The view is stunning, Pernilla. I couldn't believe it when I first saw it, when my master let me move out of the warehouse and live here. I wish so desperately that we could live here together." Maul led her through a dark hall. She held his hand as he led the way, so happy to see him that she paid no attention to where they were going. He stopped and kissed her, then put his hand over her eyes and led her out into the great room. Pernilla was a good sport and didn't use the Force to see as she played along. They walked a little further until Maul stopped and Pernilla was suddenly taken over by fear and apprehension. "All right, you can look now."

Maul removed his hand and Pernilla gasped in surprise. The view was astounding and terribly, horribly familiar.

"Across the way are my rooms. They're exactly the same, but the view's a bit better here."

Pernilla looked across into Maul's darkened rooms. Her husband had visions of ravishing her in his master's home, but she was terrified. Her hands were shaking, she was nauseous and tears welled up in her eyes._ I know this place._ _This is my father's house. My father... By the gods... If my husband is the Sith apprentice and this is his master's house..._

"Down below is the—"

"The dining room. It looks almost like you're walking on air and then there's the waterfall."

"Pernilla how do you—?"

"Orin," she turned to look into his fiery eyes, "this is my _father's_ house."

_ I couldn't believe my ears. Her _father's_house?! Her father! It was crazy. This was insanity. How could she not have told me? How could I have not sensed it or even known! My head was spinning, but her condition was far worse. She fainted and I did not catch her._

"Pernilla!" Maul kneeled down and she startled awake.

"Orin, I'm sorry... so sorry I never told you." She was as white as a sheet and Maul immediately knew that she had meant no harm in not revealing that her name was really Pernilla Palpatine. It didn't matter really and he didn't care. "Please, Orin, don't stop loving me. _Please_. I've never told anyone." She was crying uncontrollably now as she sat on her knees and Maul wiped away her tears with his sleeve.

"Pernilla, I would die before I'd ever stop loving you!" Maul held her and let her cry. He knew she had a complicated history that even she wasn't fully aware of, just as he had and countless others orphaned by the Force. She couldn't help who her father was. Maul stroked her hair and pressed her against her chest as they sat on his masters' polished marble floor. _I suppose I may call him my father-in-law now_, Maul thought. Suddenly everything seemed to fall into place. "_You need not concern yourself with the girl again."_ Of course his master would not want his apprentice, his _servant_, to be involved with _his daughter_. Anger swelled in his chest and just as quickly faded away. But as with everything about her, Pernilla seemed to be as much of his destiny as his place with the Sith. Maul worried about her now more than ever and hoped their relationship would remain unbeknownst to Sidious. He embraced his wife and kissed her forehead and her sobbing faded into a long sigh.

**_"So_**_ how was it that you did not become a Jedi?" I remember asking my father, and here was my answer. Why bother with the Jedi when you control the powers of the Dark Side? It also explained so many things, my Force sensitivity, my seemingly inexplicable Dark Side powers, my mother's fears for my life. Had she seen the darkness in his eyes? I really didn't want an answer to that question. So what does this mean for me now? That my Sith husband's Jedi wife now has her own bona fide connection to the Dark Side? Am I Sith by default? Sitting on the cold marble floor, however, I'd never felt more… loved. Orin kissed my forehead and held me, completely willing to risk his life and incur the wrath of a monster to be with the woman he loves. If that is not love, I don't know what is. His gentle touch told me that everything would be okay, even if it wasn't._

**Slowly**, Maul carried his wife outside to the pool. It was black and beautiful as it steamed in the chilly fall night.

"I had hoped we could go swimming tonight, Lady Inanna _Palpatine_," he smiled hoping that she would smile too. She did not smile. He took off his clothing and she passively let him undress her next. When he was finished she turned and caught him in a desperate embrace as if that single movement would shield her from the pain she saw in their future.

The warm water felt soothing against their naked bodies. They swam out to the edge of the pool and sat on an underwater bench and watched as the tides of Coruscant continued their endless ebb and flow thousands of feet below. Pernilla rested her head on her arms and looked out into the night.

"You know I've lived my entire life completely unaware of who my parents were, but in the past six months, I've met my mother, father and husband, and I can honestly say after my terrible trip to Naboo that I am glad that the one who matters the most is sitting next to me." She kissed Maul's lips gently. "You're the only person who knows who my father is. You, my mother and Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Qui-Gon?" He was very surprised.

"He was the one who told me about my mother. He guided all of my visions on Naboo." Now that they were talking about family and other difficult topics, Pernilla had to get her question out. "He went back to the spirit plane, but his last words had to do with me asking my husband about his death."

"His death..." Maul sighed and leaned against the wall. This would be a long story.

"He does not harbor any ill-will towards you that I could sense. He knew he would die. It was his destiny." Maul sighed.

"I will tell you this because... because he asked me to. My master sent me to Naboo, not to kidnap the queen as the Jedi say. No, your father sent me to kill Qui-Gon."

"But why? What good would that do?" Maul moved closer to Pernilla and took her hand in his, kissing her fingers in reassurance of his love and commitment.

"His reasons had to do with Qui-Gon's relationship with your mother. Apparently Qui-Gon knew that she had given birth to a child who was telepathic and also Force sensitive. Qui-Gon did not know that my master was the father nor did I, but he did know that you were the Chosen One, the instigator of the next Force Union. Qui-Gon was looking for you. He knew that you were the slave of Tavis Antilles as did your father. Qui-Gon planned to take you from Tavis, but Qui-Gon found Anakin first and your father was too late, as you had already escaped from Tavis… I have to admit, being young and lusty a story like that caught my attention. A beautiful girl, strong in the Force, the Chosen One..." He pressed his naked body against hers, caressing her face and playing with her hair. "So I hunted around, and that's what I found out. I wasn't supposed to know any of this although I never found anything more about you. I think if I would have seen a picture of your beautiful face I would have fallen in love with you right then and there."

"But you were a boy apprentice and I was nothing but a scruffy slave girl."

He smiled and kissed her neck. "But you're my slave girl... Does knowing that story help you any?"

"Yes, thank you so much. I hope that someday I will solve my mother's murder. She deserves that much."

"She does indeed." Maul was quiet. Pernilla could sense that he too had questions about his parents, questions that he would never ask. Her father had been more of a father to him than he had to her although she was certain that whatever their relationship, it was far from paternal. It all seemed terribly ironic.

"I think someday we'll find your family, Orin."

"And if I don't, I'll just have to make a new one with you."

Pernilla smiled at last and they kissed. Even though the idea was biologically impossible, it felt good pretending it could happen. They made love in the pool against the backdrop of the velveteen Coruscant night, lights glimmering like diamonds. No one could see them in their citadel. Maul set Pernilla down on the ledge and kissed her body as she laid in an inch of water, ready to fall into oblivion. His touch and the crisp air gave her chills. This time he was gentle, stroking and thrusting as if she would break. His every thought was to soothe and to calm her and she was radiant in his love. Pernilla then made him sit on the ledge as she sat in his lap, kissing him as she ran her nails across his back. Their slow motions did in no way lessen their pleasure and soon they found themselves climaxing perilously close to the edge of the infinity pool. They fell back into the water, exhausted, but happy. It was so beautiful that Maul took off Pernilla's wedding ring and took a picture with it before he slid it back onto her finger.

"You make me so happy," she whispered in his ear, "I couldn't ask for a better husband."

**Passel** Argente leaned deeper into his native Koorivarian headdress and thought about Darth Sidious and his tempting offer. He had spent a great deal of time convincing his fellow Senators that he had nothing to do with the Separatists, that he was dedicated to serving the Republic. Of course everyone had been right, he was on speaking terms with the Separatists and had occasionally contributed supplies and money to their cause, but he was just... dabbling, testing the waters. He wasn't quite ready to jump onboard the Separatists' ship. It was true, the Republic was no longer particularly profitable for him and he was ready for a new venture. But was he ready to go this far?

"Let me assure you Argente, war will bring lucrative defense orders and exclusive contracts. Ally yourself with us now and you stand to double your existing assets, not to mention the limitless potential for growth during the war and after for reconstruction."

"Allying myself to your cause would create a schism in the Senate. How many senators support this movement? I do not wish to become the figurehead for the Separatist movement."

"Oh you certainly will not. We have the support of the Techno Union, the Commerce Guild, the Trade Federation and the InterGalactic Banking Clan and their respective mouthpieces in the Senate, all of whom you are quite familiar with."

"And what if this plan doesn't work?" Argente threw Sidious a hard look, squinting his maroon eyes and sneering his olive colored lips. Sidious sighed in exasperation. How he loathed these alien species.

"We will not fail in our plan to take control of the Republic. The Republic is weak. Without an army, they don't stand a chance against out superior weaponry and our strong alliance."

"I just don't know. You're asking for an awfully large amount of money."

Sidious growled to himself and gently used the Force to persuade Argente. _Say 'yes'... Say 'yes.'_

"You know Sidious, I don't—"

Sidious put such pressure on the man's mind that his eyes bulged and sweat dripped down his olive skin. He was tired of waiting to get the answer he wanted. He still had to get to Geonosis. Sidious released his hold on Argente and the man gasped for air.

"All right!" Argente choked. "You have my full support!"

"Thank you. I knew that you see things my way."

Sidious stood up and saw that Argente was escorted back onto his deluxe cruiser before he took control at the helm of the _Imperial_, his own personal transport, a larger version of the ship he had given his apprentice. According to Maul, things were not looking so good on Geonosis. Security was appalling and production levels were not where they should be. Although Maul hadn't said anything specific about Dooku and Grevious, Sidious knew what they were up to and rightfully assumed that Maul had put them in their place. If there was anyone in the galaxy capable of assuring loyalty to him, it was Maul.

The _Imperial _cut through hyperspace and Sidious' thoughts turned to his daughter. Was she receiving the instruction that she needed? He had received word that she had been relegated into teaching younglings, such a petty task! She was above that. She deserved better assignments, something more substantial. He longed for the day when he could reveal his secret to her, when she would assume her rightful place at his side and he could be rid of the uselessly weak servants who fancied themselves his pupils. And then there was Anakin and the question of the Force Union. That Anakin was meant for his daughter was not a question in his mind. From what his sources had told him, they were already quite close. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as he leaned against the back of his chair, a thousand different machinations forming in his devious mind.

**Brilliant**, warm fall light fell upon Maul's bed. Pernilla yawned away sleep, stretched and pulled his steel colored comforter under her arm. She lay on her side, watching her husband breathe. He was sprawled out on his back, taking up most of the small bed that had never held another. The bed was quite comfortable and clad in black and gray sheets. His pillows were exquisitely made. It was so comfortable she didn't want to get out of bed and she hoped they wouldn't, but she wanted to spend waking time with her husband. Ever so gently, she rested on her elbows and leaned over him. She took a finger and traced the patterns on his chest, following his inverted heart, her favorite tattoo. She moved closer and leaned in to kiss him sweetly awake. His eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times and then grabbed her into a deeper kiss. His ran his fingers through her hair and he kissed her neck, rolling over and on top of her, a dark silhouette against the morning sun. He sat on top of Pernilla's hips, ready and willing to christen the new day. He ran a finger over her lips, pushing a few hairs away.

"Good morning," she smiled.

"Good morning to you, my ever so lovely wife. I'm sorry about the light. I usually set the windows to stay darker."

"I like to see you in the light. It's a beautiful morning and you are beautiful to look at." Maul ran his fingers between Pernilla's legs and she grasped her pillow in ecstasy.

"Well what can I say—I prefer the dark side of things."

"Oh, yes, the pool was pretty at night." He leaned down and kissed her nipples.

"You were amazing last night. And despite all the trouble and danger of it all, it was very delicious having sex with my master's daughter under his own roof."

Pernilla laughed as he pushed inside her. The endorphin rush was better than any early morning stimulant. Maul held her hands down and pushed himself up from the mattress so that she could look into his fiery eyes and he could gaze into hers. Pernilla used the Force to touch his body and he sighed in contentment. He freed her hands and they made love in the cool fall morning, faster and harder than before. Maul constantly cradled Pernilla's face in his hands and she wrapped her fingers around his horns. The fire of his eyes met the cold depths of hers and their consciousness moved away from the world around them, as if the Force itself had embraced them. Their movements intensified and each felt the need from extreme intimacy that only sex could provide, but this time it went even further until they could not distinguish their individual selves. They loved each other more than anything else at that moment. Maul kissed Pernilla, taking them both over the edge. They were one through the Force, one body, one mind. The orgasm seemed to last forever as they saw themselves through the other's eyes. It ended slowly and their senses returned to normal as if they had just come back from a moment of nostalgia. Maul collapsed on top of Pernilla's chest and she wrapped her arms around him. He pressed his cheek into the valley between her breasts and she sighed with happiness. They lay there for a while, staring out of the massive windows at the reflection of the cityscape below. They were happy, yet and unspoken sadness filled the air. Moments like this could never last. Not for them. Maul sighed and suddenly Pernilla felt a warm tear fall onto her chest. He sat up suddenly.

"Oh Pernilla, I'm sorry. My horns on your chest. Look what I've done." He rubbed a drop of blood off of the indentation that one of his smaller horns had left on her chest and kissed the tiny cut.

"Orin, I didn't feel a thing. I really liked that." She sat up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, that's what's wrong. This is the way I want to start every day. I want to be here with you, I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and to have you wake me up with your..." Maul sprang up from the bed, gesticulating madly trying to express his frustration. He fell back on the bed and held a pillow over his chest. "...your sweet delicious lips! But I can't, for so many reasons, we can't."

"And why not?"

"Because moments like this never last." He'd pulled it straight out of her head. "That's what you're thinking."

She felt like she was suddenly the perpetrator and was angry he'd read her thoughts. "Orin, I don't know what lies in store for us. I want the rest of my life to be like this. But I'm not foolish enough to forget the reality of our situation. But maybe, someday…"

"Yes, someday," Maul sighed and sat up, taking her in his arms. "Timo was right, this will be a difficult relationship and I think we now understand what he meant about family trouble."

"Definitely. I only wish that we could return to see Timo again. I think there's a lot he can teach us."

"We should go sometime soon. I'm about to start a long assignment that will involve a lot of travel in and out of Wild Space. That's not too far from Lamare, if memory serves me correctly."

"You're right. And I'm sure I can find a good excuse to dodge a few youngling classes."

"But how will we know when to go?"

"We will know through our bond. Orin we can talk to each other, we can have this conversation without even speaking. We just need to practice. When you're away, I'll share my thoughts and you've got to practice sharing yours too, even if it is difficult. It's the only way even if it seems impossible. Our relationship is a shadow, we both know that we have to savor times like this since we can't live in the sun."

"It's worth a try. It won't be so... lonely."

"Exactly."

A comfortable silence passed between them as Pernilla sat up on the bed with her head resting in Maul's lap. From across the room, she saw her wristband com unit flashing. She walked over and picked it up and her heart sank. She was needed at the Jedi Temple immediately. She looked at her husband and he immediately understood. They kissed long and deeply before he returned her to the Jedi Temple in his master's slick black sky car.


End file.
